The World on Wheels

CLASSIC TRIP - Kernville, California

2012-01-26T20:55:00.000-08:00

Not many Sierra towns can claim historic status after only 40-odd years, but Kernville can. That's because the town...in it's entirety...was relocated to its present site when the old town was inundated by the waters of adjacent Lake Isabella.

Most people come here to drop their boat or jetski in the lake, to run the mighty Kern River, or to catch that tasty Rainbow Trout lurking in the cool waters of the Kern.

Look closely and you can see the person that went overboard clinging to the side

Don't get me wrong, we like all that too, but this trip we came to see what's OFF the beaten path in Kernville.

Kerville occupies a little niche at the extreme southern end of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, separated from the nearby Tehachapi mountains, the desert, and the Central Valley by Lake Isabella. To get there from L.A., you need to either go through Bakersfield or Mojave to get there. Either route will take about 3 hours.

From L.A., take I-5 to CA 99 to CA 178 (in Bakersfield). Go east on CA 178 to Lake Isabella. Or take I-5 to CA 14 to CA 178 and go west on CA 178 to Lake Isabella. We prefer the CA 14 route. Kernville lies at the north end of the lake.

Accomodations range from budget motels to bed & breakfasts. Many of the smaller motels in town are true classics of roadside Americana with the tidy little gardens and pine-knot paneling in the rooms. Wherever you stay, the Kern River or the lake will be close at hand.

We start off our little adventure (this is an overnight excursion from L.A.) by wandering through the riverfront park in town. Our feet are hot and tired. Taking off our shoes, we dip our feet in the very refreshing water of the river. Many others are splashing in the water and a few are jumping into inflatable boats for a homemade rafting trip down to Lake Isabella.

A Conestoga Wagon catches our eye in the corner of the park. We head over to see what's up. A local actor's group is putting on a play about pioneers interspersed with some songs. We watch for awhile, but our interest doesn't keep up and we're soon looking for something else to do.

We decide to head upriver and see some sequoias. Heading up Sierra Way, we drive up the Kern River Canyon. The canyon is hot and dry for the most part. The river makes for some quick cool down spots along the way. Many rafters are in the water today. This looks like fun.

At the top of the canyon, there's a turn up to the mountains. We pass the former logging town of Johnsondale (now a time share campground called R Ranch) and it's a quick, steep climb up to the crest of the Sierras.

Once up there, it's not a long drive to get to Long Meadow, home of the giants.

We park in the Long Meadow picnic area lot. After a picnic lunch, it's across the street to the fabulous Trail of 100 Giants. This 1 mile trail winds through an ancient grove of giant sequoias. Many of these trees have holes that have burned into them from years of forest fires that allow you to actually walk into the tree.

It's cool and shady here. A couple of creeks meander through the grove and a carpet of ferns covers the ground. I don't know what the actual count is but 100 is not a stretch for this grove of big trees.

After our hike through the trees, we head back down to Kernville. By now, it's dinner time. Kernville has many places, much along the lines of burger or barbecue joints but we come here for one very special restaurant, That's Italian.

Here, in this little out of the way river town, is one of the best Italian restaurants ever. Forget the corny name, the food here is extraordinary. We had the canneloni perfectly prepared with a cream sauce, the lasagna, bow-tie pasta with shrimp, and desserts that just can't be passed up like white chocolate rasberry cheesecake, an incredibly flaky napoleon, and more. Ever see the movie "Big Night"? That's the kind of Italian dishes they serve here. Call (760) 376-6020 for reservations.

After a splendid dinner on the balcony overlooking the town square, we take a little walk around the postage stamp sized downtown. There's a few shops here but not much that really peaked our interest.

We head back to our motel and turn in for the night. The next day we check out, have breakfast, and head over to the dam that holds back Lake Isabella. Here are a few remnants of a ghost town and many mine shafts to explore (tread carefully here, many mine claims are still worked and protected as such).

Nearby, you can see some of the wildest whitewater around where the Kern River exits the dam for it's journey on down to Bakersfield. Many outfitters here can put you in the water starting at less than $20. We checked with a few and decided we'll do the rafting on a future trip.

The last thing we want to do on our trip is to have a nice picnic before heading home. We pack up a lunch from the Vons in Lake Isabella and head south through the old mining town of Bodfish. Beyond this is a beautiful stretch of country called the Lorraine loop, because of it's resemblance of the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, that begs you to pull off and enjoy the scenery.

The only sign of civilization here, besides a few houses, is the general store located in the old school house. There is a particularly scenic spot to have a picnic next door.

After a little snooze on the blanket laying in the warm sun, we continue through the loop until we reach the village of Agua Caliente, so named because of some nearby hot springs. We jump back on Highway 58 which heads over to Tehachapi, Mojave, and home.

One last sight to see is the famous Tehachapi Loop, an engineering feat enabling the trains to climb this steep pass by looping over themselves.

-Darryl

TRAVEL TIPS: Safety and Security

2012-01-24T19:41:00.000-08:00

Fear and insecurity keep many a would-be traveler firmly ensconced at home.

What if I’m mugged? What happens if I’m trapped in a disaster? …I get lost?...robbed? …or worse?

Yes, security is a concern and I’m not going to say bad things will not happen to you. I will say that even everyday life is a game of playing the odds. Can all these bad things happen to you on a trip? Yes. Can they happen to you at home too? Yes. Is there a great chance that they will happen? No.

It is rare that anything bad happens to you while traveling but it can crop up. Keep in mind that I travel a lot more than your average tourist, but all of the following have happened to me at one point or another in my 50 years of traveling…riot, terrorist attack, pickpocket attempt, lost in the wilderness, injured, taken to the emergency room for sickness, car accident, blizzard, tornado warning, and floods.

…but I still travel, still enjoy it, and still go with little to worry about. Why? Because these were very rare occurrences and by being prepared and level headed, I was able to emerge unscathed.

Here are some tips I’ve come across over the years to keep my family and me safe when traveling…

BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME…

Secure your house when you leave. Don’t let the world know you’ll be gone. If you have a trusted family member or friend, ask them if they can house sit for you. If not, have a trusted neighbor keep an eye on your place. Ask them to check for any fliers or newspapers left on your doorstep. Have an order at Amazon on the way? Ask them to watch for that too.

Visit your local post office and have them suspend mail delivery while you're gone. You can also do this online at usps.com but that has never worked for me, an in-person visit is better.

Get some timers from the hardware store. They’re not expensive and you can program the lights to come on and off at various times while you’re away.

Leave a radio tuned to a talk radio station and turn it up loud enough so that someone outside might think someone is home.

If you have two cars, park one up against the garage door so that it would be impossible to open without moving the car.

AT THE HOTEL…

If the room assigned to you seems like it’s in a sketchy area…say way in the back, next to a stairwell…ask the hotel to move you to a room you are more comfortable with. Unless the hotel is completely booked, management should accommodate you. I have yet to run across a hotel that wouldn’t work with you if there is some reason you don’t like your initial room.

While you’re in the room, always latch the dead bolt and hang up the “Do Not Disturb” placard.

When you’re out of the room, leave the “Do Not Disturb” placard on the door unless you’re expecting housekeeping to clean the room while you’re out. Leave some lights on. Leave the radio or TV on. Make it seem like someone is in the room. Either lock your valuables in the safe (if there’s one in the room), have the front office lock them in their safe, or take them with you.

If you have a car, park it as close to the entrance as possible unless you really need it by your room. A car in a populated area is less likely to be broken into.

WHILE OUT AT YOUR DESTINATION…

Travel in numbers. Families traveling together are great because they’re a readymade group. If you’re going solo, try to be where there are a lot of people...think Times Square, not some quiet street in the Lower East Side. I’m amazed when traveling to see young, attractive women walking alone along quiet streets or through parks after dark. That is the one thing you don’t want to do…always have someone else nearby.

Avoid dark, lonely places. Seems like a no brainer but sometimes when you’re out and about you might be confronted with the choice of dark and lonely or darker and lonelier. Again, try to at least be with a group if you can or go back the way you came to find a better route. We had this happen to us in France where we ended up walking by a small park after dark where a man was shooting up heroin with his big dog by his side. Fortunately, we were a group of five and felt a bit more secure in our numbers.

Keep your valuables out of sight and out of the “usual” places. Men seem to keep their wallets in their back pockets 99% of the time. Put it in your front pocket to keep it away from pickpocket fingers or use a money belt. On a very crowded Metro in Paris I felt someone reaching into my back pocket. With my wallet in the front pocket, all they got was the used Kleenex that I had just blown my nose with.

Make copies of your passport, credit cards, travel vouchers, and any other paper work you might need along the way. I will depart with many of my travel expert brethren and say DO NOT bring these copies with you. If they fall into the wrong hands, you might as well hand them the credit cards to begin with.

Instead, leave a copy with a trusted family member or friend that you can call if needed. Also, I scan this information, put it into a Word document that I have encrypted with a password, and e-mail myself a copy…that way I can retrieve that e-mail anywhere in the world when I need it.

Some people also recommend you keep a twenty dollar bill in your pocket in case you are robbed. Give it to the robber, or toss it at them if you can, and beat a hasty retreat. Whatever you do, don’t try to stand your ground…it’s just money and not worth getting hurt or killed over.

If you’re going to have a car, make sure you have valid insurance at your destination. American insurance is not valid in much of the world; call your agent before leaving to see if you are covered. If not, procure coverage either before you go (cheaper) or at the rental counter (expensive). If you’re in an accident, contact authorities immediately or have a local do it for you. Keep cool, calm, and collected. If there are any injuries, focus on the injured getting help before anything else.

DISASTERS AND SUCH…

I remember very well the July morning in 2005 when we were turned away from the Underground in London due to an “electrical malfunction” and no bus would let us board outside. After returning to our hotel, the BBC let us know what really happened…terrorists had set off a number of bombs in the Underground and a bus killing many people. The city was shut down.

Luckily, we were near our hotel and had a home to return to.

When disaster strikes, if you are in or near a safe place…stay there. Wait for official word to tell you what to do. If you are not in a safe place, seek out other local people to find out the best route to safety. If you’re in a wheelchair, keep in mind that many people will not be automatically thinking of the most accessible route…you may have to depend on the kindness of strangers to help you. Fortunately, in our experience, locals around the world tend to be kind to strangers in need.

This shouldn’t need to be said but always go away from danger, not toward it. Don’t go to the waterfront to see the tsunamis approaching, or outside to see the twister, and stay away from buildings after a big earthquake.

If you are injured, let someone know you need help.

In extreme cases, look for someone in authority or a relief provider and stick with them until you are safe.

INSURANCE…

What about travel insurance to help you in these situations? Be aware that insurance only helps afterward and does not prevent. Balance the cost of the insurance versus the benefit.

Our car and medical insurance is valid throughout the United States and we usually go without travel insurance when we’re in country. The hotel and airfare won’t cripple us if we need to forfeit it so the risk doesn’t balance out with the cost for us here.

When we’re traveling internationally, however, we always get insurance. A good policy will include emergency medical, auto accident, trip interruption and cancellation, medical evacuation, personal item coverage and more. We like the peace of mind and rarely have to use it but it’s nice to know we have it if we need it…it did help one time when we had a fender bender in France.

Always read the policy details very carefully before purchasing. Note that many policies won’t cover things like trip cancellation if it is because you just changed your mind or your office cancelled your vacation time.

Now that we’ve covered many bad things that can happen to you on vacation, know that it is an extremely rare occurrence. Yes, some of these things have happened to us over half a century of traveling but, usually, they just make for a good story when we get back. Don’t let the fear of the unknown keep you at home. Manage it and use these and other common sense tips to minimize the chance that anything bad will happen to you and enjoy the world.

-Darryl

Pin It

LAKE TAHOE - Skiing Memories

2012-01-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

Kirkwood Ski Area

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia

Roman Fuchs under CC-BY-SA license

Lake Tahoe is a very special place for me. It was my annual Spring Break destination for a week of skiing and...uh...other activities while in my younger days.

Lots of memories from those days...winning over $400 on roulette starting with a dollar and treating my friends to a midnite Billy Preston concert at Harrah's with the money; nearly skiing off a cliff while following someone we thought knew what they were doing (he did go off, we didn't...luckily it was deep powder at the bottom); being there the year over 240" of snow fell in just a few days setting off a deadly avalanche at Alpine Meadows; and sitting in a hot tub when it was five below.

Anyway, Tahoe is home to over a dozen ski areas. Here are my favorites:

1. Kirkwood - about 25 miles southwest of Tahoe. Simply the best place I've ever skiied. Very challenging with some remote open bowls and skinny chutes. Worth the effort to get to. Limited adaptive skiing available (mostly for blind skiers).

2. Alpine Meadows - Large, open bowls. Great crowd, little attitude. Skiing available late into the season...I've skiied here in June. Full adaptive ski program.

3. Mt. Rose/Slide Mountain - Scary steep slope with unbelievable views of Reno on the Slide Mountain side of things.

4. Sierra-at-Tahoe - Known as Sierra Ski Ranch in my Spring Break days. Mellow, fun place. Not too challenging, but this is where we almost went off the cliff during a run through the trees.

5. Heavenly Valley - Massive. Expensive. And a bit overrated. I do like the extremely long runs and being able to start in one state and end in another.

6. Squaw Valley - Eh, I didn't really have too much fun here. Much better at any of the resorts above.

-Darryl

Book your own trip to Lake Tahoe today at...

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: Belgians on Ice

2012-01-21T15:23:00.000-08:00

Today on the patio were chillin’ some brews. A couple of Belgian beauties.

Belgium is our favorite beer making country, followed closely by Germany and the good ole USA. Today, we’re trying an abbey brewed reserve ale and a Lambic. Both are readily available, today’s bottles came from Trader Joe’s.

The Lambic is Lindemans Framboise raspberry Lambic and the ale is Chimay Grande Reserve.

First the Lambic. These are mainly sour beers often fortified with fruit. Letty loves the sour Belgians, I think they taste like vinegar. It’s an acquired taste for me but some people really love it. This one is not sour, though. It’s actually pretty sweet and tastes more like a raspberry soda. Not sour enough for Letty and too sweet for me. The raspberries give it a deep red color and it looks like punch.

The Chimay is a rich, brown, smooth tasting beer. It’s not very clear, almost a Guinness like thick brown that blots out the sun. It is very smooth, like you’d expect a Belgian to be, and tastes just a little hoppy and a lot nutty. Not a bad brew but there are better out there, although they are not as readily available.

The Lambic is $8 and the Chimay $9 for a 750 ml bottle at Trader Joe’s.

Cheers!

-Darryl

Did I make you thirsty? Click on the link below to take care of that...

PISMO BEACH AND ALL THE CLAMS WE CAN EAT! - Yes, You Can Make That Left Turn at Albuquerque

2012-01-20T04:45:00.000-08:00

I guess we did make that left turn in Albuquerque because we’re in Pismo Beach!

Yes, it really exists (as does the great town of Walla Walla, Washington…but that’s another story) and this beautiful, classic retro California beach town can be found about an hour north of Santa Barbara on California’s awesome Central Coast.

Watch the Video!

Our home for two nights is the Oxford Suites, located adjacent to the 101 freeway on the south side of town. The room is a true suite with a living room, a separate bedroom, and a bathroom. Each room has its own flat screen TV. In the front room, there’s also an L-shaped sofa that folds out into a rather large sofabed. A wet bar and fridge complete the living room amenities.

The bedroom features a king-size bed (rooms with two queens are also available, sink, ironing board, and a patio. The bathroom was basic with a tub and toilet…the sink is in the bedroom. Accessible rooms with roll-in showers are also available.

The room also includes a full, cooked-to-order breakfast in the dining room next to the pool and spa. There’s a fitness room and beer and wine are served in the lobby lounge each night for 2 hours.

Dinner time arrives and we have a selection of restaurants we’d like to check out. A couple, we scratch off the list right away because they are in the town of Guadalupe and no one wants to make a 20 plus mile drive for dinner.

The rest are in downtown Pismo Beach but each one features a long line heading out the door and an even longer wait.

This is not our first time to the Pismo rodeo, so we know that the little town of Avila Beach is just a few minutes away and the always reliable Fatcats sits at the shore end of the pier there.

There is no wait here and the outdoor seating, under heaters in the chilly air, makes us want some comfort food. No problem…Fatcats serves breakfast all day so Letty and I have French toast and chicken fried steak while Tim is satisfied with his roast beef sandwich.

A quick stop at the local grocery store in Avila for an overpriced bottle of local wine and we head back to the hotel to drink it.

The morning finds us in the southwest corner of town, next to the only beach in California that allows you to drive your car on the sand.

We’re here for something else. Each winter, thousands of Monarch butterflies migrate up to 2,000 miles to winter in a tiny grove of eucalyptus. A web of wheelchair accessible trails surround the grove where all we do it look up and see the air filled with the orange insects.

Big clumps of butterflies cling to the branches where they huddle for warmth and mating.

After another night, the next day finds us heading south down the coast.

At Ventura, we turn east and head a dozen miles up the mountains to the little town of Ojai. Here, we’re going to a little restaurant sitting all by itself about a mile out of town.

This is Boccali’s Pizza and Pasta, a country casual Italian restaurant that is oh, so relaxing.

We have a pizza with their flaky crust and a little of their house wine. It’s oh, so good too while we enjoy it outside under the California sun surrounded by orange groves and condor country.

It’s a great end to another trip as we finish up and head slowly over the winding road back towards L.A.

-Darryl

Book your own trip to Pismo Beach today at...

Pin It

TRAVEL TIPS: Packing for Travel

2012-01-18T04:54:00.000-08:00

Rick Steves likes to say pack as little as you think you’ll need, then take less than that.

Packing for a trip is always a challenge, you don’t want to forget that one item that you’ll end up needing but you also are trying to limit how much you’ll have to carry, especially if you’re flying.

Many people try for that elusive “one carry on bag” so they can just hop off the plane and be on their way but for most wheelchair users, we need to carry too much and always end up checking something.

Still, we strive for that magic amount of clothes and accessories that leaves us with as little as possible to carry along with everything we’re going to need. Here’s how we do it…

CLOTHES

Pack with the idea that you’ll wear some of your clothes more than one day. For pants, I take two pairs for a week…the one I wear on the plane and another pair in my luggage. Dark colors can help hide an accidental stain and if it gets too bad, you can always find a laundry or washing machine nearby if an emergency makes you wash your clothes.

We also try to take clothes that are easy to clean in our bathroom sink or tub. For instance, these cargo pants from Campmor wash very easily and air-dry within 30 minutes. They also feature zip-off legs to convert them into shorts. Very handy for traveling.

One pair of shorts will do, none if you’re going to somewhere cold, swap another pair of shorts for one pair of pants if you’re going somewhere hot.

One pair of what I call “house shorts,” a comfy pair of gym shorts that I can lounge around the hotel in that also doubles as swim trunks if I need them to.

Two nicer shirts, like a polo shirt, and 6 T-shirts. I’ll wear a different shirt every day, t-shirt if I can get away with it, and save the nicer shirts for going out.

Underwear for a week...a pair a day. Same for socks. They don’t take a lot of room.

One jacket that will be appropriate for the climate I’m visiting (this can range from a hoodie to a down jacket…depends. Check the weather before you pack) and a hat. Also, if the weather looks like it will be cold on arrival at your destination, take the jacket onboard so you can wear it when you get off…no need to freeze.

If I’m going to be gone for more than a week, I’ll plan on doing laundry at some point but will not take more that what I have above.

For shoes, I take one pair of “coaches” shoes…nicer looking athletic shoes that can be worn casually with shorts and white socks, or going out to dinner with pants and a polo shirt. I also take a pair of flip-flops that I can use for lounging around the hotel, going to the pool or the beach.

Since we have to check our bags when we travel anyway, we'll put the clothes for all three of us in one suitcase. If it's over the airline's weight limit, we'll split it into a smaller bag as well.

TOILETRIES

I don’t bother with shampoo or soap…the hotel will have that. I take my toothbrush, a disposable razor, shaving cream, deodorant, and toothpaste. I’ll also take along some Rolaids, Ibuprofen, and Imodium for any maladies that may pop up, along with any prescription medication I need. Anything else that I find I need, I’ll pick up at a local store at my destination.

OTHER ITEMS

Due to my being a travel writer, blogger, and video producer, I tend to take more camera equipment that most people. Still, when buying equipment, I try to get the smallest possible components that will still allow me to get quality shots.

Technology has come a long way, it is very possible to buy high definition video cameras that will fit in your pocket and do not use tape or discs to record. The excellent Flip camera and Kodak Zx1 are two examples. Many high quality cameras also come in little packages. Fuji, Canon, and Nikon all have great pocket size cameras with high resolution and powerful zooms.

One still camera can fill the need for most people. If you want a dedicated video camera, you can get one of each and put them in your pocket.

That’s it for me…although my wife will also want to pack her cosmetics and supplements though what she packs all fits in with my stuff in our overnight toiletries bag.

SPECIAL NEEDS ITEMS

With the wheelchair, we’ll first determine if we’ll take a power chair or a manual chair. Power chair is very nice at your destination, provided it is accessible enough for a power chair, since you have more independence. We make an effort to take it but leave it at home if we have any doubts and take the manual instead.

If you do take a power chair, the biggest hassle is getting it on the plane and off the plane at your destination but that’s another story…what we’re concerned with today is that you’ll also need to take a charger for the batteries.

Realize that medical equipment doesn’t count against your weight limit for luggage and doesn’t get charged a fee in the United States and EU countries.

Before you go, check to make sure your charger will work with the electric outlets at your destination. Voltages and outlet designs vary greatly across the globe…don’t assume that you can use a cheap voltage converter either. Call the manufacturer…I did and found out our charger wouldn’t work in Europe and the cheap outlet/voltage converter we had might actually kill the charger.

Think of any bathrooming equipment you’ll need to take along. Are the smaller versions available…more portable versions? Are there other ways you can take care of those needs without bringing the equipment? Can the hotel provide some of this equipment (like a bath chair) or can you rent cheaply when you get there?

FORGOTTEN ITEMS

Don’t worry too much that you’ll forget something. You’ll find stores at your destination to fill those needs. Pharmacies for any medicines or sunscreen that you need; thrift stores or discount stores if you need a particular piece of clothing; electronics stores for batteries or converters…there’s not too much that you can’t find while on travel.

Finally, souvenirs...if we can't fit them in luggage we'll do one of two things. Rethink the purchase...do we really need it? Where will we put it? Is it worth the hassle? The other option is to ship it back home. Most places have businesses such as Kinko's or the UPS Store that will do this for you at a nominal fee.

So, as Mr. Steves would say…go over these items. Pack as little as possible…then go back and take out what you really don’t need. No one ever says “gee, I wish I’d packed more.”

-Darryl

Pin It

THE HEART OF CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST: San Luis Obispo

2012-01-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

There’s too many to count, really. Maybe millions. Whenever I bring it up, I’m met with either shuddering disgust or local pride.

Here in this narrow alley, there is not one iota of wall space that is not covered up with a used wad of gum. This colorful fiesta of chicle and spit is Bubblegum Alley, where locals have been sticking their gum on the wall since World War II.

Welcome to San Luis Obispo.

Watch the Video!

The alley can serve as a metaphor. Halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco but doing its own thing, this pretty college town lives in another California…the one not defined by big cities. Rather, it’s coastal, green, and laid-back.

While many people coming from L.A. take the coastal route up Highway 101 through Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Santa Maria; our route takes us over the hills from the central valley via Highway 46, past the James Dean Memorial Interchange, and over the green hills on Highway 41, coming in to town on the rather steep Cuesta Grade from the north.

Our day will start with coffee, followed up by a quick stop to Bubblegum Alley to film the intro to our video. After that, it’s out the west end of the alley to Higuera Street and to Mission Mall on the other side.

While there are some fine shops in this little arcade, including a nice toy store and a shoe shop, it also makes for an easy, wheelchair accessible route to San Luis Creek in back of the building.

About 240 years ago, Father Junipero Serra hung a bell from the big sycamore here, rang it to call the faithful to mass, and founded Mission San Luis Obispo.

There’s still a big sycamore here but I doubt it’s the same tree. The creek still flows, however.

Steelhead trout find their way up this wide trickle of water to spawn. It’s about twenty miles or so from this point to the creek’s meeting with the Pacific Ocean in nearby Avila Beach. The fish numbers have severely dwindled. Now they’re protected and don’t even think about fishing here.

It’s serene and very beautiful to walk along the water here. Behind the mall, there’s a ramp down for wheelchairs to get close to the water.

On the other side, the massive adobe building is where Father Serra’s mission found a permanent home. Finished in 1819, visitors can now pay a small fee to visit, see the church, and its historic courtyard.

A wheelchair accessible pedestrian bridge spans the creek here.

Back on Higuera, we finish our morning stroll window shopping. We’re taking in a local Ross store, the Apple Store, a chocolate shop, and a Bath and Beauty Shop where my wife takes advantage of the after Christmas sale to stock up on lotions.

A twenty minute drive takes us over the hills, past Cal Poly University, the penitentiary, the community college, and the state’s first National Guard base to the Ocean in Morro Bay.

Morro Bay is a tiny seafront town with a giant rock. The wharf, rock, and bay have a spectacular view that is marred a bit by the big generating plant at the north end of town.

We can get by without it ruining our day, so we head to the waterfront for lunch at the Hofbrau. The star of the show here are the roast beef dip sandwiches that are hand-carved to your specification at the counter.

We get a couple and wash it down with a cold, German hefeweisen. It’s very good, hearty, filling food under $10 a person with a million dollar view.

After lunch, it’s a stroll along the waterfront. The town has done a pretty amazing job of laying out an accessible route so wheelchairs can also roll along over the water.

We pop in to Rose’s bar, another whopper of a view, which features a completely wheelchair level and accessible bar shaped like a boat. The tequila sour goes down good with the view as we toast the end to this quick little trip up to the heart of California’s Central Coast.

-Darryl

Pin It

The Cocktail Hour - Daiquiri

2012-01-15T07:44:00.000-08:00

Watch the Video!

Hemingway's favorite drink. Originated in Cuba and named after Playa Daiquiri near Santiago. Although popularized by the El Foridita Bar in Havana, it was invented at Venus Bar in Santiago by Jennings Cox, an American mining engineer. Supposedly, the bar ran out of gin but had a lot of rums, limes, and sugar...three things that are in abundance in Cuba.

Besides Hemingway, the drink became popular during World War II as rum was one of the few commodities that was not rationed. This week, we present it in it's historical incarnation. It's not blended, flavored in any extra way, and served just as Ernie would have had it.

In the video, we cheated just a little by using coconut infused rum for extra flavor and putting the finished product in an old fashioned glass on the rocks. The coconut rum was used because I'd tried the recipe before and never got it right...I was intimidated. The glass was because Tim can't use a cocktail glass.

Be assured, however, that after filming we did try the original recipe with cocktail glasses and it came out fantastic. That recipe is the one on this page. Turns out the key is to not be shy with the lime juice. Enjoy!

DAIQUIRI (two drinks)
3 ounces white rum
2 ounces simple syrup
3 key limes

Fill a cocktail shaker half full with crushed ice. Cut the limes in half. Squeeze the juice of all the limes into the shaker. Put the rum and simple syrup in the shaker. Cover and shake. Strain into two cocktail glasses.

UPDATE: for the birdwatchers...here's today's visitors:
Cedar Waxwing
American Crow
Lesser Goldfinch
Red Tail Hawk

House Finch
Allen's Hummingbird
Anna's Hunningbird
Mourning Dove
Green Parrot
Parakeet
Scrub Jay
Starling
Titmouse
California Towhee
Turkey Vulture

White Crowned Sparrow

Acorn Woodpecker
Kinglet

Cheers,
-Darryl and Tim
Daiquiri photo courtesy of Wikimedia
Aaron Gustafon under CC-BY-SA license

CLASSIC TRIP - Central Coast (San Luis Obispo), California 2000

2012-01-12T18:37:00.000-08:00

We're working on an updated look at this area, in the meantime, take a look at our previous report...

San Luis Obispo lies just about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Many use it to stay overnight along the way however it is also a destination unto itself. San Luis Obispo is located about 12 miles inland from the ocean from Morro Bay. It is the starting poing of the scenic portion of Highway 1 that runs through Big Sur, Monterey, Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay before ending up in San Francisco.

Our trip begins on a Friday afternoon. It’s 3 to 4 hours driving before we get to our destination, the Sands Motel. For $70 per night, we get an adequate room with 2 queen beds and an extra large bathroom. It has a bathtub with a shower on a hose, no roll-in. Parking was difficult here as the handicapped spot was not large enough for us to deploy our ramp. We had to park away from the room (update - rooms now appear to be in the $100 plus per night range).

Having had dinner on the ride up, we watch a little TV and then hit the sack. In the morning, we have breakfast across the street at the Monterey St. Café. The motel provided a continental breakfast but to be honest, it just did not look appetizing. The restaurant provided a decent meal.

San Luis Obipso is in the middle of the Central Coast wine country so we headed east of town to visit it. We ended up at Edna Valley Vineyards which has just built a big new tasting room. The wines were good but with prices starting at $18 a bottle they’d need to be a bit better. The demonstration grape vines out by the parking lot were a lot of fun. 15 different varieties are planted here and you can wander through and taste the grapes right off the vine...in season of course.

Back in San Luis Obispo, we have dinner at F. McClintocks, a western themed steak joint. Dinner was excellent and the restaurant was accessible but small. After eating we take a walk along the creek that runs through downtown. Accessible walks allow wheelers to stroll along here too.

There is also an interesting, if a bit gross, attraction in the downtown area. That is “Bubble Gum Alley”, a narrow walkway where locals and visitors alike deposit their chewed gum upon the walls - sometimes to artistic effect. There is almost a half century work of gum deposited on the walls.

Wheelchair seating at Santa Maria Speedway

That evening, we head south to Santa Maria to take in a night of racing at Santa Maria Speedway. The sprint cars were running that night and the place was packed with race fans. Wheelchair users have reserved spots at the top of the stands overlooking the track by turn one.

Santa Maria Speedway

The racing that night was spectacular with typical sprint car hijinks and a lot of fun.
The next morning we drove over to nearby Avila Beach for breakfast. Avila has an interesting recent history. Years ago an oil tank farm was installed in the hills above town. About a decade ago it was found that those tanks had been leaking for years, fouling the ground under downtown Avila Beach. The company was sued and now must pay to remove all the soil under the downtown area (which was largely demolished), restore the downtown area and the beach, plus pay a huge settlement to the tiny town itself.

A sea lion begging for scraps off the San Luis Pier

Downtown Avila Beach is still under construction. Just up the road (past the equally infamous Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant entrance) is Port San Luis pier. This 100+ year old wharf nestles in a beautiful little cove. We had an excellent breakfast at Fatcats at the foot of the pier and then walked out to the end where sea lions cavorted in the water begging for handouts at the back of the fish market. Diners also know that the Olde Port Inn at the end of the pier offers some of the finest dining on the central coast.

In the afternoon we took in a matinee at the theater in downtown San Luis Obispo (Meet the Parents, funny movie).

Dinner tonight would be at the F. McClintock’s in Pismo Beach just south of San Luis Obispo (yes, the very same Pismo Beach that Bugs Bunny was always in search of). This is a much larger and much more tourist oriented location than the one in San Luis Obispo. It’s also a tad more expensive and not quite as good food wise. This night it seemed to attract every birthday and anniversary celebration on the coast. I don’t think I want to hear the wait staff sing the F. McLintock-generic celebration song again for a long, long time...

This being our last night here, we pick up a couple of bottles of local wine from the on-premises liquor store at the motel and soak in the inn’s hot tub before retiring for the night.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS IN SAN LUIS OBISPO
Of course, we couldn’t do it all in a weekend but over the years we’ve found the following area attractions to be well worth your time...

Hearst Castle is an hour’s drive to the north of San Luis Obispo

The Apple Farm Inn at the north end of town has a wonderful restaurant plus a working grist mill powered by the local creek.

The Monarch Butterflies spend their winters in several eucalyptus groves near Pismo Beach.

You can soak in natural hot springs and swim in naturally warm pools at Avila Hot Springs for a reasonable price or nearby Sycamore Hot Springs for a significant amount more. Both are just south of San Luis Obispo at the Port San Luis/Avila Beach exit of the 101 freeway.

-Darryl
Copyright 2000 - Darryl Musick
Pin It

TRAVEL TIP: Making Sure You Get Your Money's Worth Out of Your "Budget" Hotel

2012-01-10T19:55:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, my mom asked me to arrange a trip to New York for her (note: I am not a travel agent, I was just doing a favor for my mom...please don't ask me to book a trip for you).

"I want a cheap hotel," was the request she gave me.

I told her that "cheap" in New York...especially Manhattan...would be well north of $100 per night if she wanted her own bathroom. She let me know that would be too much and to find something cheaper.

*sigh...*

An extensive search throughout the island of Manhattan revealed little. The best I could find was the Hotel Penn on sale at $109 per night. Too much, find something cheaper came the command.

After much bickering and back-and-forth, I found a Howard Johnson's in East Orange, New Jersey for $49 per night (after a senior discount because $52 was too much).

The first night there, "How could you put me in this neighborhood? This is awful!"

She checked out and found better, more expensive, hotel that was more to her liking.

The problem here is that my mom was concerned about one thing, and one thing only - the price. The money you spend on a hotel is one thing but you need to take in the whole picture to make sure you're getting the best value for your lodging.

What was wrong for my mom? The hotel was in a bad neighborhood and she didn't feel safe. It was cheap, but not a bargain by any stretch of the imagination.

So don't go on price alone to see if your hotel is a bargain. Here are some things to consider...

As in my mom's case, check to see if the hotel you're interested in is in a good area. If you don't know what the good and bad areas are ahead of time, check review sites such as Tripadvisor.com and Yelp.com to help you out.

Are the rooms nice and big enough for you? The hotel website or travel sites like Expedia.com and Hotels.com can help you here. Pay attention to the description. Do you sleep on a king size bed at home? My wife and I do and a full size or double bed is just not going to cut it for us, we need at least a queen size to feel comfortable on. Are you traveling with kids? Check to make sure there will be enough bedding for them too. Many rooms now include sofabeds that can come in handy for kids to sleep on as well.

Will there be food included? A lot of hotels will throw a few snacks on the table in the lobby and call it breakfast...usually a "continental" breakfast. Some will include a full breakfast with cooked eggs, meat, fruit, breads, and more. In Bakersfield, I can pay $60 a night for a small room with little to no amenities at the Motel 6 or I can pay $80 a night for a suite at Springhill Suites that includes a full breakfast, among other goodies...which one is the better bargain?

Do you want to swim? It's pretty easy to find a pool in the United States, other countries might be a bit more of a challenge but think twice...is the weather going to be nice enough to pay a premium for it? Is it an indoor pool that might be filled with noisy kids, echoing off of the walls? Can you get a nice hotel without a pool for less?

Another consideration is how noisy a hotel is. This may be hard to ascertain before you get there but review sites can help out here. Also, pay attention to the description...exterior hallways are usually noisier than interior halls. A hotel I stayed at recently boasted about its hardwood floors which, we found out, amplified and echoed noise...carpet eats a lot of sound.

Beware of hotels that also "boost" the room to more than it is. A junior suite is usually just a room. We stayed in one that the only thing that made it a suite was a small, 3 foot tall wall between the bed and couch.'

Lastly, look for extras included in the room that will make it cheaper or easier to go on vacation. A kitchenette with a stove and refrigerator will allow you to cook some of your meals, saving money on restaurants. A hair dryer means you can leave yours home...ditto with an ironing board and iron. One of the Holy Grails of hotel amenities is a washer and dryer in your room.

These are just a few things to consider when deciding what a bargain is in a hotel. Would a $60 room at the local Super 8 or TraveLodge be as good as paying $80 - 90 for a room that has some or all of the amenities listed above?

Keep that in mind when booking your next room.

-Darryl
Copyright 2012 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

CLASSIC TRIP - Yosemite Ski Trip, California 1998

2012-01-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

This report is dedicated to the late Nic Fiore, a legend in Yosemite, who taught over 100,000 people to ski during his 50+ years at Yosemite, including the day described below...

How about a ski trip? Yes, you can do it if you're in a wheelchair. To prove it, we present a ski trip we took back in 1998. Enjoy...

It's February and El Nino has finally hit as advertised. We have received over a year's worth of rain in just this one month.

The month has also started off gloomy with two people we know passing on and a million things to do with little time to do them. We're wet...we're depressed...we need a vacation.

Luckily, the second half of the month perks up with Tim's birthday and our wedding anniversary. To celebrate, we decide to head back up to visit with Jon and Lois Moroni at their great bed and breakfast, the Restful Nest, up in Mariposa.

Are we tempting fate in this extra wet month? The weather reports for the area don't hold a lot of promise as the anticipated President's Day weekend is upon us.

Crossing our fingers, we load up our tire chains, cold weather clothes, and skis and head on up. To tempt fate even further we left at 3:00pm on Friday, February 13th.

The good weather in L.A. held up until we reached the summit of Tejon Pass (the Grapevine) where we promptly hit wind and rain. The rain stayed with us the rest of the way to Mariposa.

We stopped for a quick bite to eat at the In 'n Out in Fresno and to gas up before heading into the hills. Those hills were a gorgeous emerald green. It was not hard to think we had somehow been magically transported over to Ireland. Arrival in Mariposa was at 8:30pm.

Casey the Wonder Pooch

Jon, Lois, and their black lab Casey greeted us on arrival with a hot bowl of soup and a glass of wine. After exchanging greetings and catching up a little bit from our last trip, we unpacked into our room and went to bed.

Saturday dawned with even more rain. Lois cooked up a superb breakfast that included fresh fruit, bacon, eggs, waffles, muffins, and homemade rolls. This was washed down with some great hot coffee and fresh orange juice.

Today, we headed up to Yosemite Valley. It's about 40 miles from the B & B to the valley floor. The rain made even the tiniest of creeks into raging rivers of muddy water. Driving up the Merced River gorge towards Yosemite, we easily saw a hundred waterfalls...literally at each bend in the road.

The level of the river stayed below last year's flood levels. Once in the valley we saw numerous signs pointing out the high point of last year's flood...a level that was at least 3 feet above our heads!

Although it was still raining in Yosemite Valley, there was plenty of snow on the ground. This made for some seriously cold, wet, and slushy conditions. Determined to make the best of it, we drove a loop around the valley before settling down a bit at the store in Yosemite Village.

From there we took a walk over to Yosemite Falls on one of the few clear paths the wheelchair could take that day. Tim had a ball doing power slides through the patches of snow on the pavement.

Even in this wet and cold weather, Yosemite loses none of its majesty. The falls were spectacular and the walk nice but wet. We came back to the village and decided to do the rest of our sightseeing that day from the comfort of our heated auto. On the way out we pulled over to snap this picture of a coyote walking along the shoulder of the road.

Back in Mariposa, we stumbled onto the neighborhood herd of deer...who graciously posed for our camera...

That evening...being Valentine's Day...the Moroni's made a sumptious dinner for the inn's guest which had grown to include a race car driver and his wife from Newark, a policeman and his family from Vacaville, and another couple from Mill Valley.

The Restful Nest

Jon served a dinner of homemade French onion soup, salad, and stuffed shells. It was very good and very filling. Certainly we were not going to be losing any weight this weekend.

After dinner, the two couples went to the inn's spa while we family types retired to our rooms to watch videos and the olympics.

After another huge breakfast on Sunday, we headed back up to Yosemite. Today, the weather had cleared and we headed up to Badger Pass for an afternoon of skiing.

Nic Fiore, a young-at-heart 76 year old ski instructor at Badger Pass, had arranged for Tim to spend the afternoon skiing with one of the resort's instructors in a sit-ski. Fiore, who just celebrated his 50th anniversary at the resort, operates one of just 4 complete adaptive ski programs in California here at this little ski area located above the valley floor.

We met Tim's instructor, Jerry, who outfitted him with his equipment and took off with him for some serious slope time. This left my wife and myself with the afternoon to ourselves to explore the slopes of this mountain.

While small...the vertical from top to bottom is a mere 800 feet (you can see the entire mountian in the top photo)...the conditions were perfect and the uncrowded slopes gave us a lot of time to explore. The Pass was a comfortable if not exactly challenging place to ski.

The only downside to this day was having to put on tire chains to climb up the road to the ski area. Nic and his crew made sure Tim had the time of his life and in doing so also allowed his mother and I to have a good time as well.

Coming back down to the valley, we stop at Tunnel View to snap this picture of the view that just floored us.

Back down the mountain we went with a stop at the Pizza Factory in Mariposa for dinner. The food was good here but the kid with the ear-piercing scream was a bit much (note to the kid's parents: once maybe an accident and cute but to keep egging the kid on should be cause for criminal action!).

On arrival at the inn, we soaked our weary muscles in the hot spa...sipping a glass of good California Sangiovese while marveling at the millions of stars over our heads.

After sleeping like logs we had one more giant breakfast and spent some time in conversation with Lois while Tim played fetch with Casey. One more walk down to the inn's pond and one last breath of the fresh mountain air and then time to head home.

Another weekend in God's country leaves us with our spirits healed and ready to face another day of reality.

-Darryl
Copyright 1998

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: Ales for the Holidays

2012-01-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

Pictured above are the two ales we're tasting today.

On the left is Trader Joe's 2010 Vintage Ale. Each year the popular grocery store chain commissions a new ale for the holidays. This year's version is a Belgian style brown ale produced by Unibroue in Canada.

To the right is Zoetzuur, a Flemish sour ale. You've really got to have a taste for this type of Belgian ale. Letty does. She loves them and wishes they were more widely available here in the states. I don't. I'm trying to develop a taste but so far the varieties I've tried are either cloyingly sweet (like Framboise) or tastes like vinegar.

Watch the Video!

Zoetzuur is brewed by De Proefbrouweri in Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium. It's a small town near the Dutch border, north of Gent. The ale clocks in at 7% alcohol and is served in a cork top bottle. It's head foams up about an inch and has a lighter golden brown color.

For taste, it's a little off. True, I'm not a sour ale afficiandao, but Letty is and she agrees. There's a quick taste of, what I think of as, grape soda. Letty does not taste that but we both agree that there's an off-smell and taste. Kind of like a skunky beer but different. Something that we went back and forth on as to what exactly it was. We ended up agreeing that it is the smell and taste of a horse farm.

At $10.99 for a 750 ml bottle, it's just not worth the price. Letty is still looking for a good, sour ale that she can get on a regular basis. Rodenbach is one of her favorites but hard to find and the Bruery supposedly makes one of the finest sours around but they ran out and it will be over a year (!) till their next batch is ready.

The Trader Joe's Vintage Ale 2010, on the other hand, continues the strong tradition of great ales released each holiday season. It's a dark, dark beer but not heavy. Extremely foamy like the time I used regular granulated sugar to ferment some homemade beer, the head grows very fast so you need to do a careful pour.

The taste is smooth, the ingredients very harmonious. The bitterness just hits the back of your throat on it's way down the way a nice, cold Coke Classic does. I like this beer quite a bit and at 9% alcohol content, it's no lightweight. It's also a very good bargain at only $4.99 for a 750 ml corked bottle. I'll be going back to buy a few more.

Cheers!

-Darryl

A Comment on Comments

2012-01-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note that your comments are always welcome here. Click on the "COMMENTS" link at the bottom of each post.

Note that here on the blog, comments are moderated, meaning they will not show up under the post until I read it and OK it. That's mainly just to keep out the spammers, hackers, inappropriate, and obscene comments. I don't mind criticism but do ask that you keep it civil and family friendly.

You can also leave comments on our Facebook fan page, where they will show up immediately. Find us on Facebook at The World on Wheels Facebook page or click the link below.

Thanks,

-Darryl

THRILL RIDE: Highway 41 in Central California

2012-01-06T04:50:00.000-08:00

My home state of California might be the location for some of the heaviest traffic in the country, but it is also home to some amazing backroads.

Last week, driving up by Paso Robles and Atascadero, I saw on the map that I could save about 10 miles by going from Highway 46...where James Dean died...to Atascadero via highway 41 and skipping the detour through Paso Robles.

Watch the Video!

I'd never been this way before but what a surprise! Having the road almost all to myself, I mounted the video camera, turned on record, and captured the ride.

The video above takes you along this great and thrilling highway as we drive from highway 46 to Atascadero via highway 41.

Hope you enjoy the ride...don't go on a full stomach!

-Darryl
Copyright - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

TRAVEL TIPS - Tipping

2012-01-04T04:34:00.000-08:00

This edition of Travel Tips is well named because it deals with that minefield known as tipping!

All you really need in Punta Cana...room keys, towel tickets, and tip money.

First, know that just about anywhere you go, you will be expected to tip at some point. Some places more that others. While there are places that tipping is inappropriate...Japan comes to mind...most destinations will have someone that expects one.

For me, when in doubt, I leave something to let the person know I appreciate their service. I've yet to see someone return the money I've given them.

So who do you tip? The list can be daunting...waiters, housekeepers, pool boys, concierges, drivers, bartenders, and just about anybody that goes out of their way to make sure your vacation is special.

Some bills include the tip, or gratuity, automatically. Check your bill before you leave a double tip.

The way you tip can also make a difference. You should tip the maid who cleans up your room. I recommend daily so the tip can make a difference during your stay. If you leave the tip somewhere money might be left by mistake, like the top of the dresser, the maid will probably figure it is not a tip and leave it. The common place for a daily tip is to be left on top of the pillow on your bed. Money left there is known to be a tip.

What about all-inclusive resorts where tipping is included in the price? This is a sticking point to some people, but I do leave or give a token tip for services. You will still get service if you don't but you will get better service if you do. Leave a dollar or two to the bartender, the person who gets your towels, the person checking out your sports equipment, etc.

Not only will you get better service, but a lot of times you'll be making a noticeable difference to someone who does not make a lot of money.

Some will say tipping adds to an already expensive vacation. I say, if you can't afford to give a dollar or two here and there, you can't afford the vacation in the first place.

To get ready for tipping, I'll go to my bank just before leaving on a trip and take out $100-150 dollars in one dollar bills and another $50 or so in five dollar bills, just to have something to tip.

I'll also study up on my destination before going to see what the local tipping etiquette is. One good site is iTipping.com .

No matter how hard you prepare, you will come across someone who you don't know if you should tip or not. In this quandary, if they did something a little extra for us, I'll tip them a couple of dollars.

If someone does something completely exceptional for you, like our pool boy in the Dominican Republic who reserved a special spot by the pool for us everyday, I'll make sure to find them when we leave to give them a special, larger than normal tip.

Tipping is a personal decision, don't let me tell you exactly how it should be done...this is just my personal policy but, as Steve Martin said in My Blue Heaven, "tip everybody!" Maybe not quite everybody but don't be stingy either.

-Darryl
Copyright 2010 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

HIDDEN GEMS - San Gabriel River Bike Trail and Natural Area

2012-01-02T04:55:00.000-08:00

About 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles is the San Gabriel River. From its headwaters, high in the San Gabriel Mountains above the city of Azusa, the river runs...if it was allowed to unimpeded...to the Pacific Ocean where it marks not only the boundary between Long Beach and Seal Beach, but Los Angeles County and Orange County.

Watch the Video!

A couple of miles up San Gabriel Canyon (known to locals as Azusa Canyon), the San Gabriel River Bike Trail begins. This paved lane, also accessible to walkers and wheelchairs, runs around 40 miles along the banks of the river all the way to the ocean.

This northern section is the most natural and wild section and includes great scrub and desert scenery for the first 10 miles or so, through the section behind Santa Fe Dam in Irwindale. If you've ever been to the Renaissance Fair in L.A., it's held behind the dam every spring.

In the video above, I take you along on my New Year's Eve bike ride from the top of the trail, down 5 miles to the century old Pacific Electric bridge connecting Azusa and the nearby city of Duarte. This bridge carried the famed Red Car trolleys that used to run all across the region.

Near the beginning of the ride, notice the housing development. Perhaps the most poorly placed housing development in the area, it is located not only next to a river that can flood but in an area where a huge wildfire was started a few years ago.

There was also a gun range next door that had been there for 60 years when the new neighbors found that gunshots could be heard and demanded that it be shut down. It was.

The area traversed today is a birdwatcher's paradise with over 50 species flying overhead. Also look down to see some local roadrunners, bobcats, and coyotes.

There are parking areas at the top of the trail in the canyon, another along Foothill Blvd. in Azusa where it meets the river, and at Santa Fe Dam. Across the river at the other end of the Pacific Electric Bridge in Duarte, parking is also available at Encanto Park. From there, you can access the trail by crossing the bridge. There is also a short nature trail on the west side of the river here.

Not well known to those who don't live here, the area around here is truly a great, natural hidden gem that will reward those who seek it out.

-Darryl
Copyright 2010 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved.

LOOKING BACK - 2011 at The World on Wheels

2012-01-01T10:55:00.000-08:00

Here is an easy-to-use guide to every new destination we visited in 2011...

The World on Wheels 2011 Year in Review

...and here are links to the Best of 2011 Awards from The World on Wheels...

Best Airline

Best Hotel

Best Food

Best Cocktail Hours

Best Baseball Stadiums

Best Accessible Destination

-Darryl

Best of 2011: Accessible Destination of the Year

2011-12-30T05:40:00.000-08:00

We had nine destinations across four states and one foreign destination. Of those, there was no "perfect" wheelchair accessible location but Denver, Colorado came the closest with very good access.

Great food, great beer, wonderful sports opportunities, wheelchair accessible hiking, amusement parks, zoos, and some of the biggest mountains in America.

The one "ding" we hit Denver with is the artificially low wheelchair capacity of their light rail system but we took the power chair and did not have any problems with it.

So, without further ado, please click the link below to visit our pick for the wheelchair destination of the year, Denver, Colorado...

Denver Report

You should also check out our Year in Review.

We'll be taking a few days off to celebrate and recuperate for the New Year. Happy New Year from the Musick family and The World on Wheels. We'll see you after the ball drops in Times Square.

-Darryl

Best of 2011: Baseball Stadiums

2011-12-28T22:04:00.000-08:00

This year we added two new stadiums to our growing list as we work on visiting every Major League ballpark. One Major League stadium and one minor league park...

Coors Field - Denver, Colorado. It was a cold (38 degrees), wet day for a ballgame int the mile high city.

Recreation Park - Visalia, California. A ballpark designed by Rube Goldberg.

-Darryl

Best of 2011 - Cocktail Hours

2011-12-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

2011 saw us tackle some new, on location happy hours. Click the links below to see them...

DENVER - May found us in the mile-high city where we had a massive pub crawl. Beer, beer, and more beer is the theme of this trip...with a little wine, sherry, and tequila thrown in for good measure.

Denver Pub Crawl - Part 1

Denver Pub Crawl - Part 2

PASO ROBLES - June found us on California's central coast sipping delicious wine and tasting some local brews...

Paso Robles Wine Tasting

Paso Robles Beer Tasting

ANAHEIM - October found us closer to home, down the street from the Magic Kingdom celebrating Oktoberfest...

Oktoberfest at the Phoenix Club

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Finally, November found us on the beach in Punta Cana taking advantage of the all-you-can-drink bars there...

Dominican Republic Resort Drink Tour

Cheers!

-Darryl

Merry Christmas from The World on Wheels!

2011-12-25T09:21:00.000-08:00

From our family to yours, we wish you a healthy and happy holiday season!

Here is a special holiday Cocktail Hour we filmed last night for your pleasure...

Cheers!

-Darryl

Best of 2011 - Food

2011-12-21T04:51:00.000-08:00

Followers of this page know we like good food on the road. Here is the best we found over the last year...

We didn't get to make a dedicated trip to Bakersfield this year but made sure we routed ourselves through there when we could. Our trips to Paso Robles, Tulare, and Monterey all included stops here...both coming and going...for one reason and one reason only.

Our absolute favorite restaurant right now is still the awesome Los Tacos de Huicho in Bakersfield. Tender slabs of pork, stacked up on a vertical spit with a big, sweet onion on top, slowly rotate and cook to provide the best al pastor tacos you've ever had. At 99 cents, what a bargain too! Tim also says they make some of the best fries he's ever had. My wife says the fish tacos are to die for while I'll always get a couple of tacos de tripas to go with my al pastor.

All of us also love the sopes, thick bowls of masa served with meat, beans, cheese and cream. Served plain, you finish it off with their awesome salsa bar featuring their delectable, creamy, and spicy guacamole salsa.

Huicho's celebrated their 15th anniversary this year and have expanded...buying out their next door neighbor to get a nice, large parking lot while the old lot is being turned into a new dining room and patio.

In Tucson, the sopapillas at Rosa's is one of the best desserts we had this year. Big, fluffy pillows of fried dough, drizzled with honey and cinnamon with whipped cream on the side. Don't take our word for it, ask Willie Nelson...it's his favorite spot to eat while here too.

On the north side of Tucson, BK Tacos...in addition to having great tacos...has their version of what we call "ghetto dogs" back home in L.A. The Sonoran dog is a hot dog, wrapped in bacon, covered with beans, salsa, and cheese. Tim gives this creation a big thumbs up.

In Denver, with all the beer and great food that city has to offer, it was this creamy penne with gorgonzola, bacon, and asparagus that was served as a cheap happy hour dish at the Cheeky Monk. Unbelievably good food washed down with some very good Belgian brews. Only $5.99 during the afternoon happy hour here.

In Paso Robles, another city not short on good food or wine, it was the breakfast at the Springside Restaurant that we remember the most. Perfectly cooked omeletts, served with fluffy pancakes started our days off with a delicious and filling meal.

Over the hill from Paso, the Superior Dairy Company in Hanford serves monstrous sized ice cream treats across the street from the beautiful town plaza. A single scoop here would be a large sundae at other ice cream parlors, but behold the SOS...the masterpiece of balance and taste...their signature banana split.

In Pacific Grove...the pretty little town on the end of the Monterey Peninsula in California...we had dinner at one of the best restaurants in the state, Passionfish. Known for serving outstanding sustainable seafood, land lubbers will also like their meat and poultry dishes. Reservations are essential here, the dining room is always full because in addition to serving some of the best food you'll ever have, their policy is to charge a very reasonable price for it. Outstanding food at prices you'll not believe.

There you have it, the most memorable food we saw on our travels during 2011. You might also want to check out some of the best food in our home base of Los Angeles in our report and video called Three Meals a Day, All Across L.A.

Now, we're just looking forward to what we'll taste in 2012!

-Darryl
Copyright 2011 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Best of 2011 - Hotel

2011-12-19T05:39:00.000-08:00

This year, picking a hotel chain to honor was tough. In the end, it came down to who offered the most peace of mind to wheelchair travelers before arrival. Our independent hotel pick was much easier.

We loved the unbelievable, top notch service of the Riu hotel. When arriving at the front desk, the agent would tell us "if you are unhappy, let us know. We want you to be happy. If you're unhappy, that is not good for anyone...we will do whatever it takes to make you happy."

I know, sounds like just some PR puffery to get you on your way, but we came to find out they really mean it and take it seriously. Our less than perfect first night was quickly forgotten by all the management did to make sure they made up for any deficiencies starting with a great room upgrade through reserved spots of honor at the pool, and even the towel sculptures they left in the room.

This was our most enjoyable stay this year but they Riu reservation system makes getting an accessible room hard. They will block an accessible room for you, but you must call the hotel manager directly and there is no toll-free number to do so, meaning an expensive international call. We must give Riu our honorable mention but the difficulty imposed in making an accessible reservation just keeps them from the top spot.

On the other hand, Marriott hotels keep stepping up to the plate in welcoming wheelchair travelers. With a variety of handicapped accessible rooms in premium locations on their properties, the brand shows that it knows that special needs travelers don't want to be stuck in the back of the hotel next to the laundry room.

The facilities, such as counters and dining areas, are thought out for accessibility and built accordingly. For all travelers, service by the staff is friendly and professional.

Reservations for accessible rooms are a breeze on their website with room descriptions and accessibility options right on the online reservation form. Accessible rooms are guaranteed when booking this way.

From the standard Marriott, to the casual Courtyard, the comfortable Springhill Suites, to the luxurious JW Marriott, the hotels of the Marriott brand continue to be the standard for understanding the wheelchair travelers' needs, not to mention they have one of the best loyalty programs around.

Marriott is our hotel chain of the year.

Our independent hotel choice is not in the heart of any big tourist area, though it is within an easy drive of such popular places as Sequoia National Park. I do recommend you spend a day or two here to slow down and live a slice of rural America.

Charter Inn and Suites is in the San Joaquin Valley town of Tulare in California. It is right off of the main highway, highway 99, and is pretty central to everything.

The suites here are huge. Roll-in showers are available and even the non-accessible units are big enough for a chair and, if you can use a bathtub, might even be preferable to you. There's a pool and spa, breakfast is served daily, cocktails during weekday evenings, and there's even a lending library for books and videos. Wifi is free and strong.

The staff here is wonderful and the rooms are pretty spectacular for the location.

This is easily the best hotel along highway 99 and is pretty affordable to boot.

Charter Inn and Suites in Tulare, California is our pick for the independent hotel of the year.

-Darryl

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: Tequila Old Fashioned

2011-12-18T06:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a real easy and real light cocktail for you. It's basically a whiskey old fashioned recipe but using tequila instead.

Watch the Video!

We'll make a couple of very slight adjustments for the taste of the tequila and to shave a few calories. Total calorie count - 100.

Here's the recipe (one drink):

1.5 oz. tequila
2-3 oz.soda water
1/2 packet sweet 'n low
dash of bitters
1 pineapple chunk or spear

Put sweet 'n low in an old fashioned glass followed by a dash of bitters. Pour just a splash of carbonated water on that. Fill glass with ice. Pour in tequila and fill to top with the carbonated water. Put in a wedge of pineapple and enjoy!

-Darryl
Copyright 2010 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Best of 2011 - Airline

2011-12-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

This year is almost a no-brainer...we only flew on two airlines, AirTran and Southwest. Both good, and both will be the same airline soon...Southwest bought AirTran in 2011 and is in the process of making AirTran part of the Southwest family so, for the third year in a row...

Southwest Airlines wins our airline of the year cudos.

Consistency, on-time performance, no hidden fees, friendly and helpful staff, comfort, good prices, and good equipment handling are longtime hallmarks of this year's Airline of the Year - Southwest Airlines.

Southwest is also a good friend of wheelchair travelers. Very good with preboarding, identifying needs, and helping out whenever they can. This year's trip to Denver we were taking our 300+ pound power chair. It's always a little hair-raising when you travel with a power chair because you don't know if a clumsy baggage handler is going to break it.

I told the gate attendant that I'd like to show here where exactly to pick up the chair. She had me wait a minute and brought up the supervisor of the tarmac handlers who paid close attention to what I was telling him, asked good questions about the handling and weight of the chair, and pulled the ground staff together to explain what I had told him...and made sure he had four guys available to pick up the chair and treat it gently.

Southwest has clean planes, friendly cabin staff, the best baggage handlers when it came to loading our chair, free checked luggage, free snacks - on the longer flights even approaching a light meal, free use of pillows and blankets, no delays, and low prices.

The only knock I can think of is that there is no assigned seating on Southwest and it can be a free-for-all to find a seat. Get there early if you don't qualify for pre-boarding to get one of the first boarding passed - Southwest has three tiers, A, B, and C, and are handed out first-come, first-served. A boards first, B second, and C last.

Congratulations to Southwest for being consistently (there's that word again) the best airline we've flown.

While you're here, you may want to see our Year In Review for 2011.

-Darryl

YEAR IN REVIEW - 2011

2011-12-14T05:25:00.000-08:00

It's been another busy year here at The World on Wheels. It's true we had some different goals at the beginning of the year but other work issues crept in and made us wonder if we'd even get out of the house.

Luckily, some things fell into place, others fell through...opening up new opportunities, and some wishes were fulfilled.

Here are the new, and revisited, destinations we got to in 2011...

Yuma, Arizona - We started the year in this riverfront city in the southwest corner of the state. Long a crossroads, Yuma sits up next to California and Mexico. A lot of history has happened here but the city is pretty overlooked by most travelers. For us, it kicked off the entire year's worth of journeys.

Yuma, Arizona - 2011

Tucson, Arizona - Coming here was supposed to be a warm getaway from a chilly wintertime Southern California and our first extended trip. Didn't quite work out that way as we had freezing weather and even snow in this southwestern desert town.

Tucson, Arizona - Part 1

Tucson, Arizona - Part 2

It was then a few months exploring our home surroundings of Southern California with a string of new reports and videos showcasing our home base...which is a big tourist magnet in itself.

Three Meals a Day, All Across L.A. - A video tour of three of our favorite L.A. restaurants accompanied by a report and list of several of our all time favorite places to eat here.

California's Hidden Wine Country explores the most endangered wine producing area of this great wine state. Just a handful of vintners stick it out against urban expansion in this historic area.

Pasadena, California - Several travel writers seemed to discover the Crown City, home of the Tournament of Roses, this year. This is truly in my neighborhood so here is my take on the "other" city just north of Los Angeles proper.

L.A.'s Other Pier, Redondo Beach - Tim's favorite beach location makes for a great day along the water.

Southern California's Best Beaches - We're locals...want to know the best places along the ocean? Here are our picks.

In May, we realized a long-held goal...the only trip we had planned to take this year that actually came to fruition as we had envisioned. A trip to the Napa Valley of Beer, Denver, so we could experience it in all it's boozy splendor and take in a baseball game at a new-to-us stadium.

Denver, Colorado - Part 1

Denver, Colorado - Part 2

Denver, Colorado - Part 3

Colorado Springs, Colorado - While we're in the neighborhood, why not extend it a little bit to Denver's southern neighbor, full of natural beauty and tall peaks.

June found Letty and I by ourselves for a few days while Tim was at camp. We spent it wine tasting among the elephant seals and watching calf roping in beautiful Paso Robles on California's Central Coast.

Paso Robles, California - Part 1

Paso Robles, California - Part 2

Paso Robles, California - Part 3

America's Breadbasket - When we retrieved Tim from Camp...who had to leave a day early due to sickness...our next adventure took us to another off-the-beaten track destination in California's Central Valley.

Monterey, California - Yes, we've been to Monterey plenty of times and have reported on it here too. This time, we get to know some lesser known parts of the peninsula, go for some wheelchair-acessible hikes, and even spend a day at the fair.

Monterey, California - Part 1

Monterey, California - Part 2

Laughlin, Nevada - this little gambling mecca on the Colorado River has not been on our radar for several years but a chance to see Vince Gill in concert brings us out to this desert oasis.

Laughlin - Part 1

Laughlin - Part 2

Route 66 - an out-of-the way detour on our way home provides fodder for a video and photo essay of one of the world's most historic and beloved roads.

The Dominican Republic - A yearning for a warm, tropical beach vacation started us on the road to this trip. Trying to find a wheelchair accessible beach led us to the DR. Our biggest trip of the year yielded a lot of information, pictures, video, and...most importantly...fun!

As of this writing, we only have one trip in the planning stages for next year but I'm sure many more opportunities will come along, after all, we'd only hoped to go on three trips last year but ended up with nine trips plus five new articles on our home area.

We hope you've enjoyed the trip this year and will continue to come along as we find some new adventures next year.

-Darryl
Copyright 2011 - Darryl Musick
All rights Reserved

THE DOMINICAN INDEX

2011-12-12T05:20:00.000-08:00

We say goodbye for now to all things Dominican Republic today with this last post. What a great trip it has been!

Here is our complete Dominican Saga, listed in this index below.

If you've missed anything, it's down below.

REPORTS

Dominican Republic Trip Report, Part 1

Dominican Republic Trip Report, Part 2

Getting a Proper Room for a Wheelchair - Our first night shenanigans and how we fixed it.

Wheelchair Features in Punta Cana and the Riu Palace Resort - What you'll find and how to get around in a wheelchair when you arrive in Punta Cana.

COCKTAIL HOURS

The Bavaro - A new drink created by Tim and I on location using the liquor dispensers and mini bar from our room.

Dominican Resort Drink Tour - A drinking tour of the resort using our all-inclusive access to the bars.

The Blue Coral - Tim and I recreate this drink we discovered while on the trip when we get back home.

PHOTO ESSAY

The View from the Window Seat - A photographic journey taken by my wife at 40,000 feet as we make our way to the Caribbean

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: Blue Coral

2011-12-11T05:56:00.001-08:00

A first for the Cocktail Hour today...our first frozen drink!

When one goes on a tropical beach vacation, one gets a tropical drink - probably frozen and preferably blue for some reason.

Watch the video!

Today's recipe fits that bill. It's a drink that we found on our recent trip to the Dominican Republic and seems to be a specialty of the Riu chain of hotels. It's called the Blue Coral.

On arrival back home, we decided to see if we could make this drink. No recipe book or online site had a recipe, so we had to wing it. I think we got it.

Watch the video above to see our attempt. It's almost a blooper reel...pretty amazing we were able to complete this with everything going wrong around us during the shoot.

Here's the recipe...

INGREDIENTS (two drinks)

2 oz. dark rum
1.5 oz. blue curacao
3 oz. coconut syrup
juice of 2 small limes

In a blender 1/3 full of ice, pour all ingredients. Blend on high until frothy. Serve in an old fashioned glass.

Cheers!

-Darryl

Sand, Sun, and Fun - The Dominican Republic, Part 2

2011-12-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

It’s a balmy 80 degrees. A meringue duo is playing in the plaza’s gazebo. Cocktails are being served to the guests at the tables spread across the square. At 9:30, the resort’s guests make their way into the adjacent theater. It’s showtime at the Riu.

After the winners of the day’s activities are given their certificates and the entertainment staff has prepped and the cocktails served, the show begins. An army of bodyguards marches to the stage and Michael Jackson…or at least a reasonable facsimile…takes the stage for an hour of dancing and lip-synching.

Watch the Video!

If you’ve read part 1 of this report (and if you haven’t, click on that link now to get caught up…don’t worry…we’ll be here when you get back) you might have gotten an inkling of all the food, alcohol, activities available here. I should note that at the Riu (and most Punta Cana resorts) all of this is included in the price of your room. All you can eat and drink, watersports, and endless entertainment and activities. You never have to pay another dime.

A good night’s sleep in our room and we start the cycle all over again…

It’s a bit cloudy as we hit our time to go to the pool. We head in and as the sprinkles start the guests run away. Hell, a little sprinkle isn’t going to stop us so we get our spot, put out the inner tube, insert Tim and jump into the pool.

The rain lets up but a few minutes later it starts again. Tim and I head to the swim up bar. Letty joins us.

Once there, the sprinkle turns to a downpour as we take refuge under the small overhang of the bar. As the deluge continues on, the unneeded extra bartenders are called to relocate to the lobby bar, fashioning trash bags as raincoats to run across the open area.

After a half hour riding the storm out and seeing the heavy clouds offshore, we decide that the next break in the weather, we’re getting out.

An easing of the rain to a steady sprinkle gives us our chance. Usually, there is a strong man nearby that we can draft to help me lift Tim out of the pool. Not today…we’re the last ones there. It’s mainly just me, with a little help from Letty.

It’s tough, but we manage to do it.

Back in the room, we decide this is a good time for Tim’s shower as we have given up on the pool for the day. After dressing, we decide to explore.

Next to the hotel’s spa is Colonial Street, a small shopping area. While Letty looks at bikinis, the cigar seller strikes up a conversation with me. I ask if he sells Cuban cigars and he does. He clips one, hands it to me, and lights it up…it’s my sample.

Of course, next comes the hard sell, trying to sell me boxes of Habanos to take home but I keep telling him I can’t. Not Cubans at least with the embargo in place.

It’s a tough back and forth for a few minutes, then Letty comes over with her fluent Spanish to help me out. I finally get through to him that I just wanted to try a Cuban and we settle on some local Domincan cigars to take home. The large Cuban is my gift to keep smoking so I don’t have to worry about breaking any laws.

We have dinner at the Italian restaurant tonight. White fish and creamy chicken are our entrees but the appetizer bar ahead of time can be a meal in itself.

Salad, pizza, lasagna, spaghetti, cheese, are just a few of the items spread out there.

The next day, it’s time to hit the beach. We wander next door to the Riu Palace Macao where the paved beach path takes a detour close the water where we can get some lounge chairs and swim in the warm, Caribbean waters.

It’s not long before a waiter comes by and plies us with drinks from the beach bar.

There’s an old shipwreck just offshore, I ask him what the story is. He doesn’t know the whole saga except that the ship crashed about 30 years ago and has been slowly breaking up on the reef every since. (A quick search reveals the fact that it was a Russian freighter called the Astron that crashed in a storm in 1978.)

We’re in front of the Macao, which holds the area’s casino. Tim wants to go see it. It’s a small place, surrounded by ongoing construction, and we’re the only 3 people in there aside from the staff. Tim and I wouldn’t mind playing some roulette but we’re told the tables don’t open until the evening. Oh well, it’s not the most lively place so we leave and head back to our hotel.

This evening would be spent in the Riu’s sports bar where we watch local Dominican League baseball (or beisbol, as it is here) on the large flat screen cheering on the action with the bartenders. Want to make instant friends with any local here? If you’re a baseball fan, just start talking about the sport…they love it here as Europeans do soccer.

The next night was a fabulous show featuring a lot of Dominican folk music and dancing.

Alas, the time has come to go home. One last drink in the lobby bar with our bags and our taxi driver finds us. It’s back to Punta Cana International Airport where one of the workers escorts us through all the necessary checkpoints before boarding our plane to Atlanta.

It’s Thanksgiving Day and both planes home are half-full. We are able to upgrade to business class and stretch out, looking back on a great week on that melancholy flight home.

-Darryl

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IN A WHEELCHAIR: Riu Palace Punta Cana and Area Access Features

2011-12-07T04:45:00.000-08:00

The finale of our trip report is coming soon but first we'd like to put some practical information in for the wheelchair traveler. Here's how we found access in the Dominican Republic...

ON ARRIVAL: Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) does not have jetways. All passengers board and deplane via stairs. Four men carried Tim down the stairs (and back up when we left) in the plane aisle chair. An airport chair awaited us at the bottom.

Wheelchair users are escorted though the entire arrival process, including through immigration and customs all the way through to your ground transportation. Our gate checked chair was provided to us at baggage claim.

The airport, other than the boarding stairs, is very accessible and nicely ramped throughout. The restrooms have handicapped stalls and there is also a family restroom available.

GROUND TRANSPORTATION: Since it was our first time, we decided to use a manual chair instead of the power chair.

We used Dominican Airport Transfers, where we were able to book a private van for the three of us, round trip, for less than $100. They were on time (actually a little early), safe, courteous, and comfortable. They do not have lift equipped vans but we did find this company...RD Shuttle...that provides wheelchair transportation services.

AT THE HOTEL:We picked the Riu Palace Punta Cana because it was the only hotel we could find that would block an accessible room for us. Several resorts in the area purport to have accessible rooms and facilities, but we could not find any other that would guarantee it.

Watch the Video!

See the video above for a tour of the accessible features of the hotel. There are step-free rooms with roll-in showers which are very nice junior suites but they are not located in the prime area of the hotel. They are very close to the ramp which leads to the restaurants, pools, and beach. Other step-free rooms with bathtubs are available closer to the beach.

There are six lifts...two on each side of the lobby and one in each wing closer to the pool and beach...four ramps, located at the bottom level of each lift, that will provide access to the plaza, restaurants, shops, pool, and beach.

The grounds are very nicely ramped throughout. A paved path runs along the beach starting at the Colonial Street shopping area adjacent to the pool. About 200 yards south on the path, it jogs pretty close to the water where you can transfer to lounge chairs on the sand.

-Darryl

Sand, Sun, and Fun - The Dominican Republic, Part 1

2011-12-05T05:09:00.000-08:00

"You know I really miss going to Puerto Vallarta." Letty said to me...for about the tenth time.

"I know, hon," I replied "but you know that it's just too inaccessible for us now that Tim is grown up."

"I know, but I'd really like to go on a beach vacation," she finishes.

I really want to make her wish come true, but where can we go with the wheelchair?

Watch the Video!

Okay, PV is out. Much research time is spent trying to find another Mexican destination that would serve up a more accessible destination. Cancun and Cabo just seem to overdeveloped and overrun to me. Ixtapa comes very close until we're finally able to contact the hotel that looked fantastic but ended up having "only" 234 steps to the beach.

We need something a little flatter, a lot tropical, and a little less Hawaii. Here is where we ended up...

The little green gecko is not trying to sell me insurance. Instead, he’s being impatient as my wife tries to get him to pose for a picture. The little guy is on the door of our room. Soon, after my wife snaps the pic, he runs to the edge of the balcony and jumps off like superman, landing gently on the leaves three floors down.

The marble floor of the junior suite cools our bare feet as we enter from the hot, sticky humidity of the Dominican autumn. Our bedding consists of two full beds pushed together making a super-size king bed. The management has put in an extra twin bed because there are three of us. My wife likes the feel of that bed better so Tim and I sleep in the large bed.

A big flat screen keeps my son occupied during spells in the room between activities with American sports programing. A full slate of local Dominican programs are also on, which comes in handy to watch the local Dominical Baseball league in full swing.

Our assigned room came with a big, roll-in shower and step-free access for the wheelchair. It was also in the very back of the gigantic Riu Palace Punta Cana resort and came with its own set of maintenance and noise issues. It was obvious that the hotel rarely rented out this accessible room and it seemed like the ugly redheaded step child of the resort.

After an almost sleepless first night, a visit to the front desk was in order. We were unhappy. Fortunately at the Riu, if you’re unhappy, you better be made happy or there will be hell to pay.

Another step-free room was found for us…closer to the beach…in a quiet area of the hotel with a nice terrace overlooking the main courtyard plaza of the hotel. Alas, this room only had a bathtub, but a shower chair was installed and it worked for us.

An extensive array of delicious breakfast foods awaited us in the morning. French toast, a couple of scoops of soft scrambled eggs, fruit, and a croissant fortified us for the day.

A quick stop by the reservations center located in the lobby of the Riu’s Italian restaurant secured us dinner for the next four nights in each of the hotel’s a la carte restaurants for dinner. Tonight would be Brazilian Churriasca followed by Japanese fare, Italian specialties, finishing up with a hearty dinner in beachfront steakhouse.

The last night of our stay would find us browsing in the casual buffet where we wouldn’t have to adhere to the a la carte restaurants dress code of long pants and sleeved shirts…it’s kind of a bitch to redress Tim multiple times a day but it’d be worth it to get the full resort experience.

After a change into swim gear, we head to the heart of the resort…the large pool located at the edge of Bavaro Beach. We get to know Carlos, a pool boy, who provides us with towels and finds the perfect spot to decamp into some lounge chairs steps away from the pool, the beach, and the bar separating the two. He quickly got to know us and would make sure that those two lounge chairs, with the space for the wheelchair, and the umbrella would be “ours” from now until we checked out.

We bring an inflatable inner tube for Tim to float in when we go swimming. Carlos took it for a minute, disappeared to some unknown location where there was an air compressor, and returned with a fully inflated tube.

For the next few hours, Tim and I would float around the large pool getting to know Jim, Heather, and their baby Lucas from Chicago; Roger and Ivy from Ontario, Canada, Simo, Elisa, and their disabled daughter Nailia, from Argentina; and Tom and Vanessa from Flint. When Letty would get too hot from sunbathing and join us in the pool, we’d float over to the swim up bar and get to know the extensive bar menu provided by Juan the bartender.

Steps away from the pool, La Altigracia…the resort’s steakhouse…would lay out a spread for the swimmers and beach goers consisting of steak, pork, chicken, seafood, and a giso of rice topped with saucy spare ribs and black beans…a delicious local specialty. Kids missing home could also have their fill of burgers, hot dogs and pizza.

After every meal was the extensive dessert and ice cream bar.

A little time in the sun was in order after the meal where our biggest concern was whether we’d lathered on the sunscreen thick enough.

Animacion…the resort’s entertainment team…would lead dances by the pool, set up archery and ping pong tournaments, and keep the guests involved in the experience. We’d take the afternoon and head over to the beach.

An accessible, paved beach path connects all the Riu resorts along the beach. When it gets over to the neighboring Palace Macao resort, the path takes a nice detour towards the water where it’s only about 30 feet from the water. Here we can get the wheelchair onto the sand, grab a couple of lounge chairs and relax on the sand.

Nearby is Scuba Caribe which serves as the resort’s watersports activity center. Snorkeling gear, boogie boards, wind surfers, and much more are available at no charge (a refundable cash deposit is required).

The lounge chair are on runners like skis, so it’d be easy to drag Tim to the water, put a mask and snorkel on him, swim out and watch the fish. Unfortunately this week the water is just too rough with some strong offshore winds kicking up the murkiness. I’ll just have to be content with a boogie board, a little body surfing, and drinking rum in the sun on the sand.

Stay tuned for Part 2, coming very soon...

-Darryl

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: Dominican Resort Drink Tour

2011-12-04T06:31:00.000-08:00

Quandary - you have an unlimited bar tab at a tropical resort. How to you make the most of it?

Watch the Video!

Coming to you from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, this week's Cocktail Hour tries to make a dent in it. Watch as we go from lobby bar to plaza bar and swim up bar to sample the bartenders talents.

Trying to not get too lit up (yeah, right) while keeping the sunburn to a minimum, it's all rum, tequila, and vodka by by the pool in this week's on-location Cocktail Hour video. Enjoy!

Cheers,

-Darryl

TRAVEL TALES - Getting a Room That Will Work With Your Wheelchair

2011-12-01T04:38:00.000-08:00

Traveling with a wheelchair poses many logistical barriers to overcome. One of the biggest is getting a proper room to sleep in. The needs can be different for every traveler. Some absolutely need a roll-in shower, for instance. We can get by with a tub and a shower chair as long as there's enough space to lift Tim through.

Watch the Video!

In the U.S. and developed countries such as you'd find in Europe, this is getting easier. Third World countries are still quite an adventure...the boundaries of the ADA have long since been crossed.

Before we get into the actual report of our trip to the Dominican Republic, I'd like to share this little room adventure with you.

First, out of around 20 resorts contacted, only one...the Riu Palace Punta Cana...would guarantee an accessible room for us. Others would just say "make the reservation and we'll see what's available when you get here."

Next, we give our travel agent our specifications. While a roll-in shower would be nice, it is not absolutely necessary for us. More important is step-free access to, and within the room with doors wide enough to fit a standard wheelchair through. It's this second part that many people we contact just don't get and can cause problems.

We don't want a roll-in shower if it's the worst room in the hotel.

The maid left this for us on our bed. Yeah, I know what it looks like but I think she was going for a heart.

On arrival, the hotel did indeed have a room with a roll-in reserved for us. The room itself was actually pretty nice, two double beds pushed together to make a super-sized king bed, a sitting area with a sofa (not a sofabed as we'd learn to our dismay), a nice little patio, great mini bar with four bottle liquor dispenser.

There were a few minor problems right away...no place for Tim to sleep, no remote for the TV, a barely hanging shower curtain, and a very loose toilet seat.

Complaints to the management secured us an extra bed (not a rollaway, an actual third bed), and a new TV and remote. The toilet seat and curtain were not fixed.

Major problems arose the first night. The location of our room was way, way in the back of the hotel...about as far away from the beach and pool as you could get. It was also right next door to another room that the staff were using as storage and right around the corner from the main work room of housekeeping. It was noisy all night long but they did quiet down a bit after I went outside and asked them to keep it down.

The next morning, I took my bloodshot eyes along with Tim and Letty to the front desk to complain. We were moved to a much nicer room, albeit without the roll-in shower, with step free access in a quieter, nicer location.

To their credit, management at the Riu were very accommodating in making us happy and after the move we had a very, very good time.

Looking back, if we had needed to keep the roll-in room, I'm sure that they would have taken care of all our concerns but on the first day when we didn't know how well they respond to complaints, we had no idea if they would or wouldn't. Since we could do without it, it was time to make that move.

Just one of the many adventures that await you as a wheelchair traveler...remember to always pack your sense of humor and be willing to roll with the punches. You'll have a great time.

-Darryl
Copyright 2011 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

PHOTO ESSAY: The View from the Window Seat

2011-11-30T04:58:00.000-08:00

I'm an aisle seat guy. Letty likes to curl up by the window. It works for us.
(Scroll down for more...)

Sometimes she brings her camera down from the overhead and starts snapping away. Here are some pictures we took on our most recent flight.

Looking down on the Bahamas.

The shuttle assembly building and launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Somewhere over one of the hundreds of islands of the Bahamas.

Turks and Caicos.

Descending over the Dominican Republic.

On the tarmac at Punta Cana International Airport, Dominican Republic.

CLASSIC TRIP - Maui 1995

2011-11-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

Note - This is now the oldest trip on the site, dating back to1995. Remember that when dealing with prices and such. I have no updated information at this time.

Our son, Tim, had always wanted to see Hawaii. This year he got his wish as we found a good deal for a week's stay in Maui. For $569 we got a week's stay at an oceanfront room in Kahana, a rental car, and airfare on ATA. This was all booked through Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays.

The flight over was fine. Nothing special but nothing really bad about it either. The only complaints is that it is on a very crowded L-1011 and ATA's idea of what a bulkhead seat is is very different from mine. On the plus side, the flight over was direct to Maui, without having to stop in Honolulu, and the flight attendants were courteous.

On arrival in Maui I headed over to pick up our rental car at Alamo. The line was about 15 people long when I got there and grew quite a bit after me. 30 minutes later, I picked up my wife and son from the terminal.

Our hotel room was in Kahana on the other side of the island past Lahaina and Kaanapaali. It is listed as a condo, but that would be too generous of a description. Basically, our room at the Kahana sands was just that...a room with a king size bed, a murphy bed, and a tiny kitchenette crammed into the corner.

The room was a bit of a disappointment. It was kind of dingy with cigarette burns in the drapes. The building itself has very limited access for chairs. 2 parking spots, a ramp, and an elevator (with one step to negotiate). The room itself had no special accomodations. On the plus side it was on the beach but overall, we were disappointed that a company as well known as Pleasant Hawaiian would book such a dingy place in its packages...even if it was very low priced.

Being optimistic, we try to spend as little time as we can in the room...we are in Hawaii afterall...and get out to do things. Nearby is a dive shop, Snorkel Bob's I believe...that rented snorkeling equipment. The equipment was top notch, the price a bargain, and they throw in a map of local dive spots.

I had been to Maui when I was a teenager and remembered a superb dive spot near the Bhuddist temple on the outskirts of Lahaina. When I asked at the dive shop about this spot, they said it had been ruined by pollution. But more on this later...

Saddened, we went to the nearest spot on the map, Kapalua Bay. The last time I'd been here, Kapalua Bay was out in the boonies. Only a small wooden church marked the spot. I remembered a supremely delightful day spent bodysurfing here as a teen.

Now the entire area is a plush resort with many condos and a championship golf course winding around. The small wooden church is still here, but the rest of the area is completely unrecognizable to me. Coming from Los Angeles, I know how this can happen.

There is a very small dirt parking lot where the public slobs like us can park...public access is still guaranteed to the beach if grudgingly...and we luck out with a spot before it's full. Negotiating the wheelchair from here down to the beach is very tricky and just barely doable. We finally make it to Kapalua's crescent shaped stretch of sand.

Tim and Darryl Snorkeling

Tim and I don our masks and fins and head out into the water. It is pretty. There are loads of fish and we see a basketball-sized octopus having lunch on some small, unfortunate fish. I think maybe time is blurring it, but the water...as beautiful as it is...isn't quite as clear as it was years ago.

Still, we have fun and continue this pattern all week as we head up and down the coast to the dive spots highlighted on our map.

Mid-week, we take in a luau at the Royal Lahaina resort in Kaanapaali. This was a lot of fun. Although I suppose it was not as "authentic" as the luau advertised in Lahaina, it was still a blast. Not cheap (nothing here is, see Random Notes below for more), the price still included dinner and unlimited drinks...always a plus on vacation! Since we went on a Wednesday, Tim got in for free.

The food was good, the drinks cool and refreshing...and when the bartender saw me drop a dollar bill in his tip jar, he made sure I didn't go back to my table before fortifying our drinks heavily with extra rum.

Tim and the Luau Crew

The show was amazing with all the different kinds of Polynesian dances (the Tongan fire dance is pretty spectacular) and the audience participation was very inclusive including wheelchairs (see picture, there's a ramp at stage left). This was probably the best night time fun we had here.

Dining here can be problamatic. It's not that there aren't any good restaurants...there are plenty...but that they're all so expensive, even the bad ones, and without knowing where to go you can blow a lot of money on a bad experience easily.

Cooking in is also not a pleasant option. Groceries here are ungodly expensive.

We did find some places that we can pass on to you.

Our top pick for good food and value is BJ's on Front Street in Lahaina. Good food, coupled with great live music and reasonable prices. The catch? It's upstairs with no elevator. A couple of beefy looking Hawaiian waiters are more that happy to get anybody upstairs though.

Kimo's is also good and last but not least, check out Lahaina Coolers for a very different menu at somewhat decent prices..

We found Cheeseburger in Paradise way overpriced and overrated.

We took the drive to Hana...wasn't quite as fun as we thought it would be...and took in an Omnimax movie in Lahaina that could have also been better.

Our last day on the island, we decide to take a submersible tour. After 45 minutes of breathtaking underwater scenery, our ship stops and everyone is invited up on deck to jump in for some snorkeling.
The snorkeling is beautiful, in fact the best on the trip. Just as good as that day many moons ago when my dad took us off of the WWII wharf next to the Bhuddist temple that the dive shop said was now gone due to pollution.

And why shouldn't it be beautiful? When we get on up on deck from the underwater area, we see where we are...just off of that WWII wharf next to the Bhuddist temple that we had dived on that day long ago...

-Darryl

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: The Bavaro

2011-11-27T03:14:00.000-08:00

Two mad scientists, four liquor dispensers, a hotel mini bar at our disposal. What good can come of this?

Watch the Video!

From our hotel room in the Dominican Republic, Tim and I explore the possibilities in our new video and come up with a new cocktail, the Bavaro (named for the beach in front of the hotel.

Here's the final recipe:

INGREDIENTS (two drinks):
3 oz. dark rum
1 oz. brandy
4 oz. orange soda
1 oz. 7UP

Fill two highball glasses with ice. Split rum and brandy evenly between the two. Fill within an inch of the top with orange soda. Top off with 7UP.

Cheers!

-Darryl

CLASSIC TRIP - Kennedy Space Center, Florida 1998

2011-11-25T05:26:00.000-08:00

For those of you who would like to take a break from the onslaught of tourism that is Orlando, Kennedy Space Center makes a wonderful day trip just 45 minutes away. Although advertised as being a 2 hour tour, plan on a whole day here. I've tried to update the original 1998 information for 2010.

When arriving at the visitor's center, you will be confronted with possibly the world's only wheelchair accessible space vehicle...an actual space shuttle conveniently fitted with a ramped and elevator equipped tower allowing you access to all parts of the shuttle (see picture above).

Of course, the one thing everybody wants to see on the shuttle is the bathroom. You won't be disappointed...you'll get a front row seat for a view. It's amazing that 7 crew members can actually fit in the cramped quarters - most of the shuttle space is given over to cargo room and mechanics. This alone is worth the trip over but is just the beginning.

Starting off at the visitor's center, which separate from the tour of the spaceport itself is ~~free~~ (not any more - Ed), you can wander about the amazing museum here. Aside from the shuttle mentioned above is the outstanding Rocket Garden which displays examples of some of our nation's most famous rockets.

Those of you traveling in wheelchairs needn't worry a bit about visiting here. Every facility is superbly accessible. Handicapped parking abounds right in front of the gate to the visitor's center. Accessible restrooms are just inside and all parts of the facility are ramped. There are also twin IMAX theaters that show great movies such as "The Dream is Alive" that have special seating reserved for wheelers...none of that stadium-style seating front row business that you are forced to endure at the local multiplex.

Tim demonstrates the wheelchair access on NASA's tour buses.

The panel behind him swings away and a lift pops out from the compartment below.

After seeing the highlights of the visitor center, you'll want to jump aboard one of the huge lift-equipped buses to tour the actual space center. ~~This is the only knock I have on the center's accessibility, and it's really just a small one~~. ~~Not~~ every bus in the fleet is lift equipped. ~~Only about every 3rd bus is~~ (all buses are now lift equipped - Ed).

Once on your way, the tour makes three main stops. You spend as much time at each one as you want, and then catch another bus to the next stop. It is at this point that you may have to wait for 2 or 3 buses before a lift-equipped bus will show up. (Each accessible bus has tie-downs for two chairs)
Now, on with the tour.

Once on the bus, an audio track is played featuring NASA astronauts explaing features and highlights of the facility. On the way to the first stop, you will pass the mammoth shuttle assembly building which is much bigger that needed because it originally was designed for the Saturn V booster that sent men to the moon. Recycled and refurbished it now serves present day needs.

Next to that is a smaller building with blast louvers on the windows. This is mission control where you see all those technicians at their computer monitors during a blast off. Parked out back is the biggest ground vehicle I've ever seen. This monster-sized tracked vehicle is the shuttle transport vehicle which carries assembled space shuttles out to the launch pad at a blistering 1 mile per hour.

After a drive by look at the famous digital countdown clock, you arrive at your first destination...the launching pad viewing platform.

After a quick movie showing how shuttle are prepared for flight and an actual blast off, you saunter out to the three story platform. An elevator will take you to any level you desire.

This is the closest the public is allowed to an actual launching pad due to the hazardous materials found there. There are two pads, the closest about 1/2 a mile away and the farther one about a mile. You can see them well and telescopes are mounted on the platform for a close-up view.

This is the shuttle that carried the first piece of the International Space Station sitting on the pad.

On our visit in October of 1998, the closer pad held the shuttle that was to be launched in December carrying the first piece of the International Space Station. The farther pad held the shuttle that in a week's time would carry John Glenn on his historic return to space. As a history buff, being at the epicenter of a place where history was being made was a thrill beyond measure.

This is the shuttle that carried John Glenn back to space sitting on it's pad.

Back on the bus after this stop, we pass by the shuttle landing strip and are told that the road we are on is the actual taxi way the shuttles use to be towed back to the assembly building. Just beyond that, the driver points out an alligator lounging in a water-filled roadside ditch. Then it's on to stop number two, the Saturn V display building.

Here we are noticing that are time is slipping away. We had scheduled 4 hours for this tour and then had to head back to Orlando to catch a flight home. Now is the time I realize that it's not enough to expect the tour to take only 2 hours as advertised. We were already hear that long and were only getting to the second stop. Cleary we'd have to trim some time. There is a movie you can watch about the Saturn V, but we skipped that and headed into the building.

The Saturn V's nozzles can't even fit into one picture

You may think you know how big the Saturn V is but until you've seen the actual thing, nothing can prepare you for it. The only complete Saturn V built that was never used (it was made for one more Apollo mission that was scrubbed), it lies on its side in this massive hall specially built for it. Over 3 football fields long, the booster has five gigantic rocket nozzles in it's base that provided enough thrust to lob men all the way to the moon. It is so big that I could not get those five nozzles into one picture no matter how far back I stood.

There is also a fantastic multimedia show highlighting the first trip to the moon back in 1969. Two moon rocks are on display, one you can touch, along with a lunar rover and an actual used apollo capsule. The cafeteria is here along with the requisite gift shop.

The last stop on the tour was the International Space Station assembly building where you can see components of the station being prepared for flight. As we were completely out of time, we stayed on the bus here and headed back to our car parked at the visitor's center to catch our flight home.

Kennedy Space Center is located about 45 miles due east of Orlando next to the town of Titusville. It's a quick and scenic drive along the Beeline Expressway toll road (about $3 in tolls each way) to the center.

Back in 1998, admission to the visitor's center museum was free, but the tour was $14/adults and $10/kids under 12 and also includes another tour to historic Cape Canaveral where our space program began. Not any more. General admission, which includes the space center tour is now around $40 for adults and $30 for children. The web site link at the top also describes how you can watch shuttle launches live and has a schedule of upcoming blast offs.

-Darryl
Copyright 1998/2010 - Darryl Musick

The Dungeons of Downtown Los Angeles

2011-11-23T05:29:00.000-08:00

Here are some L.A. landmarks you'll probably not want to seek out next time you're in town. Trust me, you'll get all the experience you need from this report.

Jail, as opposed to prison, is where you'll be incarcerated while waiting for trial if you can't make or are not granted bail. Convicted prisoners who are given short sentences also do time there. Downtown L.A. has four jail facilities.

As Baretta used to say, "don't do the crime if you can't do the time." But if for some reason you do find yourself on the wrong side of a set of handcuffs, here are your probable lodging options while you're in the City of Angels.

THE MEN'S CENTRAL JAIL, run by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department might be your home if you're arrested in L.A. County but not by the LAPD. An outdated and truly scary place, it's jailer staff is currently being investigated for abuse. Just the possibility that you might end up in this dank, depressing, and dangerous place should be all the deterent you need to not misbehave while you're here.

TWIN TOWERS is across the street from the Men's Central Jail. I don't know that it'd be any better to be incarcerated here but it is a newer facility than it's neighbor.

Here is the entrance you'll be taken through if you're booked there.

THE LOS ANGELES METROPOLITAN DETENTION CENTER is the newest facility and is run by the Los Angeles Police Department. You would probably end up here if arrested by the LAPD in the central city area.

It replaces this facility (located directly behind the new jail), which...according to inmates and jailers alike...was truly a dungeon with faulty plumbing and no air conditioning.

THE METROPOLITAN DETENTION CENTER (not to be confused with the similarly named LAPD facility nearby) is where you'll end up if your crime is a federal offense.

Run by the U.S. Marshal's Service and the Bureau of Prisons, it is located at the Federal Complex at Alameda and Aliso Streets.

There you have it, a selection of the city's worst lodging options. Be sure to avoid them when you're visiting Los Angeles.

One last bit, you'll find this contraption at the entrance of the Federal Jail. It's called a barrel cleaner. Cops, agents, and guards are not to enter with loaded weapons. After they unload, they have to stick their gun in this and pull the trigger. If a bullet happened to still be in the chamber, it would fire and this barrel cleaner would capture it safely.

NOTE: While taking pictures for this post, I was briefly detained by a security officer at one of the facilities above. He said I wasn't allowed to take pictures. I very politely asked him why and what law I was breaking (I was on the public sidewalk). He then admitted there was actually no law but that they were instructed to "request" that people not take pictures. I told him that if I was breaking no law, I'd be on my way...I'd already taken my photos...and left. Bloggers that take pictures frequently find themselves in this position, please take a look at the Photographers Bill of Rights so you will know what you can...and cannot do...when taking pictures. It came in very handy for me in preparing this post.

-Darryl
Copyright2011 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

CLASSIC TRIP - Amador County and Gold Country, California 1998 - Part 2

2011-11-21T05:42:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are tired of all the "Napa Valley" theatrics of the wineries...i.e. overcharging for tasting, castles, gondolas, etc...California offers many other wine countries. From the almost completely unknown Cucamonga Valley by L.A., Temecula even farther south, Monterey, Mendocino, Lodi and more. My favorite of them all is little Amador County, about halfway between Lake Tahoe and Sacramento. Still mainly undiscovered, this is California's oldest continuing wine producing area. It's unpretentious, has great wine (especially reds like Zinfandel), and you can still find free and cheap tastes there. We go there as often as we can...we were there last in June of '09.

Here's part 2 of our Amador Country trip from 1998 where we go from possibly the most historic site in California (part 1) and delve deeper into the wineries and tasting rooms of the region...

After a few hours in Coloma, we start to head south on highway 49 towards our lodging in Ione. Along the way, we decide to have lunch in Plymouth-one of the many Gold Rush era towns dotting the hills here. Driving down Plymouth’s small main street we do not see a single restaurant though we do see many saloons. Back out on the edge of town is Marlene & Greg’s Diner which serves a very nice and reasonable lunch.

Still with a couple of hours to kill before check-in time at the Heirloom, we head over to our main weekend destination, the Shanandoah Valley just outside of Plymouth. This is California’s oldest wine region. There are still vines growing-and producing-in this area that date back over 125 years.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia and Steve Howe at www.cheers2wine.com

Under CC-BY license

There are over a dozen wineries here so we just hit a few today with plans to return tomorrow. First is the Montevina Winery, recommended by our local wine merchant. In the modern mission-style tasting room we try several good wines. Our favorites are the superb refosco (which is my number one pick of the entire weekend) and the sangiovese.

Next, we head over the Shanandoah Vineyards. Shanandoah is owned by the oldest winery in the state, the nearby Sobon Estate. The wines here are okay, but I guess being the oldest is not necessarily the best. Nothing to knock your socks off here.

We finish off this afternoon’s tasting at Renwood Winery. Several wines here really, really blew us away. The barbera was like drinking velvet, but at $35 was a bit out of reach today. Their old-growth zinfandel was superb and a drink of living history made from vines that were alive with the 49'ers. The sangiovese bested even Atlas Peak’s stunning entry. We take a couple of bottles of the sangiovese and some delicious muscat for later and head over to Ione to check-in to our room.

Driving into Ione is much like any of the other Gold Rush era towns here except Ione is not a gold town...it’s a brick town. Ione, while contemporary with the other mining towns here such as Sutter Creek, Jackson, and Amador City, was not a gold-harboring site. Rather, it made it’s living making bricks from its abundant clay that the other more famous nearby towns were built out of.

Coming in the first thing you notice is an imposing, castle-like building on the north end of town that dominates the landscape. It turns out that the “castle” is the main administration building of the local juvenile hall.

Today, Ione’s main industries are i~~nmates~~ (the facility has since been closed-ed) and fireworks. The local pyrotechnics factory supplies Disney with it’s spectacular shells that light up the magic kingdom. Due to this, Ione proudly puts on the Sierra’s biggest and brightest fireworks show...for free! Only, the skip the fourth (the company’s biggest business day) and celebrate on the fifth when more of the employees can put on and enjoy the show.

The Heirloom is located at the end of a 1/4 mile drive just off of the main highway through town. Separated from a nearby strip mall and the rest of the town by a barrier of big old trees, it retains a seclusion and tranquility that really help recharge your batteries.

The owners, Millicent and Pat, go out of their way to make you comfortable at the 6 room inn. 4 rooms, including ours, are located on the second floor of the circa 1863 main building and 2 more are located in an adobe walled cottage nearby.

Our room included a fireplace, private bathroom, queen size bed and balcony. After a day of touring & wine tasting we quickly settle for a nap after checking in.

Dinner that evening was at the Palace Hotel and Saloon in nearby Sutter Creek. While looking a little tacky from the outside, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality and value of the food. The service and atmosphere were also top notch. The owners of the inn and other guests were surprised at this because the Palace is kind of considered the “low rent” dining establishment of the area.

Breakfast the next morning, July 4th, was served out in the garden with a quiche, fruit, and a special patriotic shortcake with an America flag sticking out of it. Despite Millicent and Pat’s efforts to include at least two parties at each table, most guests stuck to themselves on this first day, which is too bad because a big part of the B & B experience is to meet new people. The next day would be different though.

Now we had a full day to tour the local wine country. First stop: California’s oldest continuously operating winery...the Sobon Estate.

If you’re a wine lover, you know that California is one of the top wine producers in the world. What most don’t know is that Napa Valley is not where the state’s wine industry started. That honor goes to Amador County and the Sierra Foothill area known as the Shanandoah Valley.

To see where it all started, I recommend that all wine lovers make the pilgrimage to the humble little cellar...dating back to before the Civil War...here at the Sobon Estate. The estate has a historical museum...admission free...with artifacts of 19th century life and wine making. The museums goes through 5 areas, each one a little older, until you end up in the original wine cellar dug into the hill those many years ago.

It’s a small room actually, no larger that many living rooms, that is still used by the winery to age the wine in oak barrels. Nothing has changed, except the addition of electric light, in all those years. It’s an awesome sight.

For all that, however, the wines produced by Sobon are rather pedestrian but it is worth it to buy a bottle as a souvenir of California wine history.

Next, we head over to the Deaver Vineyards. The Deavers not only run a winery, but also run the Amador Harvest Bed & Breakfast (on the grounds of the winery) and the Amador Flower Nursery nearby, which is world-renowned for its day lillies.

Being July 4th, there are numerous red, white and blue banners and baloons. Tables and a big barbecue are set up on the grounds. A 2 man band is preparing to play. Is it a private party? We don’t know but a sign out front says the tasting room is open so we head on in.

Mike Deaver, his family, and employees are busy manning the tasting counter. We quickly line up for some samples and taste some fine wine. The Deavers best, however, are their port wines which just tickles the palate and goes down ever so smoothly. Mike then asks us “are you staying for the barbecue?”.

We don’t know, we reply. “It’s free”, he says. Well, in that case...

We feasted on barbecued bratwurst and burgers. Washed down with free sodas and water. To ease our guilty conscience, we buy a bottle of Deaver’s sauvignon blanc to drink with our meal. This was all while we sat on the beautiful green lawn on the banks of their little lake and listening to the surprisingly good music put out by the band...easily the biggest bargain of the weekend.

After lunch, we took a walk around the lake, watching the local birds and getting a close-up look at the vineyards.

After the great lunch break at the Deaver place, we continued over to Story Winery with its tasting room in the ancient miner’s cabin. The wine at Story is good, very good, especially the whites. What really sets them apart from the rest is the view over the Consumnes River canyon from their tasting area. We saw several eagles while relaxing here. Story also has an old growth zinfandel (like many here do) on ancient vines...but with a difference. These vines recieve only rain water, no irrigation. The result is an intensely flavored fruit that passes that excellent quality on to the wine.

That was it for the wine tasting, although there are many other wineries in the area we’ll have to get to next time. For now, it was back to the inn with our trunk load of wine to wind down, relax, and get ready for dinner.

After a nap and a very pleasant stroll along the banks of Sutter creek, we head over for dinner at the nearby, historic Ione Hotel.

Here you can have some very good food served by candle light right off of the old western-style saloon. Service is also excellent here and prices, while not cheap, were still reasonable. We walked around the small downtown area of Ione and then headed back to the inn.

Another restful night, another great breakfast (this time with some other guests to share our table) and then it was time to head back home. That evening they tell us Ione had a great fireworks show, oh well, maybe next time we’ll get to see it.

-Darryl

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: The Rubio

2011-11-20T04:52:00.000-08:00

Ah, the ever popular Rubio. What? You've never heard of it?

Don't feel bad...I just made it up. Actually, Tim and I made it up, as you can see in this week's Cocktail Hour video.

Watch the Video!

The history is we made some wine from the juice of our grape vine in the backyard. Not a great wine, in fact just barely drinkable. What to do?

At my wife's suggestion, we poured a healthy slug of amaretto into it and...voila...something much better emerged.

If you don't have your own barely drinkable, homemade wine, don't sweat it. Just get a really cheap bottle of rose, put a shot and a half of amaretto in it and you can have your own Rubio.

Where'd the name come from? Well, watch the video (it's short, only 4 minutes) for the answer...

Cheers!

-Darryl

CLASSIC TRIP - Amador County and Gold Country, California 1998 - Part 1

2011-11-18T05:15:00.000-08:00

Please indulge us for another classic trip, a new trip will be up next week. For now, it's time for another trip in the WayBack Machine. This time, way back to 1998. One caveat is that our lodging in this report no longer appears to operate as a bed and breakfast. It is now just a place to hold weddings and receptions, which is too bad because it was a very nice place to stay. Kind of like a Tom Sawyer house along the banks of a nice little creek. Oh well, time marches on...

After driving 300 miles and getting lost on some country back roads, it was amazing looking at this humble little stretch of sand that is the epicenter of California history. For it was here, on a January day 150 years ago that a sawmill manager bent over to pick up a shiny fleck in the outflow of the mill. From that moment on, things were never to be the same in California again.

Our latest getaway was taken over the July 4th weekend. Again, we find ourselves drawn to the Gold Country, this time to the area south of Placerville and east of Sacramento.

In planning this trip, we originally were thinking of seeing the star wine country of the state, Napa Valley. We were soon discouraged over the high lodging prices and the long drive. Looking over the appellations of the wine bottles at our local shop, the name Amador County popped up again and again. A little research into this area showed that it is a great area for wine and travel value so Amador County is was.

We settled on the great little Heirloom Inn in Ione, CA for our lodging. This antebellum style inn, built 135 years ago, sits on the banks of Sutter Creek and provides a secluded, private base to explore all this area has to offer.

As stated above, our first day in the area started with us taking a wrong turn near Placerville and getting lost trying to find Coloma. Unfortunately, our AAA map of California was missing some key roads in the area and was of no use. Knowing that Coloma should be somewhere northwest of Placerville, we stumbled along until we found a sign pointing in the proper direction.

The town of Coloma...really more of a village these days...is a state historic park. Coloma is the spot where James Sutter built his sawmill to process the logs from the nearby mountains. John Marshall was Sutter’s manager at the mill.

On that fateful day in January of 1848, the tailrace of the mill (where the water that powered it flowed through) was clogged with debris. The waterwheel that powered the mill would not turn. Marshall supervised the dynamiting of the tailrace. The blasting was successful and the water again flowed freely.

Marshall then went to inspect the exit of the tailrace to make sure there was no more clogging debris when he noticed something shiny in the water. There, at the spot pictured above, he bent over and picked up the gold nugget that started the California Gold Rush.

150 years later, we find ourselves looking for another kind of gold. We are frantically looking through our car for loose change because of the $5 park admission fee. We have a $20 bill, but the toll booth is unmanned and no one is available to make change. Finally, we find our $5 worth of change and somehow manage to cram it through the narrow slot of the toll booth and park our car.

From the lot it is about 100 yards to the replica of Sutter’s Mill. It’s about another 200 yards from that spot to where the mill was originally located, marked by a monument (the American River has changed course since 1848 and inundated the original site). Next to the replica is a shed containing some original wood from the real mill.

It’s what lies down river that intrigues me even more. First is that spot where the mill was actually located. As you stand on the banks of the river watching the rafters go by, all it takes is the thought that 2 of the most important men in the state’s history stood on this spot. Indeed, they worked and lived here.

Further downstream as you come upon that humble little beach (see the picture up above), again the thought comes into your mind...this is where John Marshall actually bent over and picked up that nugget. My son kids me sometimes about my getting thrilled over history, but it’s the same feeling I get when I’m in Washington, D.C. and standing behind the balcony in Ford’s theater thinking about the assassination that took place right in front of the spot I’m standing in.

Later on we visited the park’s museum and wandered around what’s left of the town...many of the old buildings were torn down as prospectors looked through the ground underneath them for gold. Of interest here is the old jail and the many pits left from those early diggings.

Up the hill is John Marshall’s grave which is marked with a prominent monument pointing down to the discovery site. It’s sad when you learn that he died broke and dejected...only after his death was his place in history noted with this monument.

Just below his grave is his old cabin. Still standing, complete with the outhouse. Adjacent is the old cemetery and an old canal, still carrying water, left over from those gold rush days.

Stay tuned for Part 2...

-Darryl
Copyright 1998 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

The Secret Gardens of Downtown Los Angeles

2011-11-16T07:42:00.000-08:00

Updated 11-16-2011, new stuff added after Union Station below...

I'm not going to try to lie to you or sugar coat in, downtown L.A. is pretty much a dirty, depressing concrete jungle filled with all kinds of different characters. At night, it pretty much becomes a ghost town. Still, it's a big destination for tourists.

I've spent years here, exploring the area, and every now and then I come across some hidden little gem. Here are some of them, little pocket gardens and parks that you wouldn't know were there without looking.

Let's start off at Union Station because this is where you should begin. It's where the light rail, subway, commuter rail, and many bus lines converge. Chances are you'll arrive in downtown here.

Union Station has two beautifully landscaped garden areas on each side of it's massive lobby. The south garden is heavily tracked and most people see that. Head out the north side, however, and you come across this quiet, walled garden with a tiled waterfall built into the wall. A great place to relax, meditate, and get control of your day.

ADDED 11-16-2011

A brand new park has just been unveiled in Little Tokyo in the last couple of weeks. The kind of stark and harsh Toriumi Plaza sits where a portion of Parker Center's parking lot used to be on the corner of 1st Street and San Pedro.

Designed to not be homeless friendly, nevertheless, there are little gems hidden around the bamboo and ginko landscaped park such as these shadow boxes embedded in the sidewalk.

Here's another Union Station secret garden, one I didn't know existed until I extended my walk a little further than I ever had before. In the extreme back end (east side) of the station, around and behind the MTA headquarters building, is this little park filled with benches to sit on, pretty gardens, fountains and waterfalls.

Here you can see the nice, stepped waterfall that leads down to Vignes Street.

Between Spring and Broadway Streets, midway between 4th and 5th Streets, is this plaza that marks a walkway connecting Spring and Broadway. With a number of fast food establishments adjacent to it, it makes a nice place to sit and have lunch.

ADDED 6-30-2011

The Little Tokyo Mall, at 3rd and Alameda, is kind of depressing inside, but walk through and you'll get to this converted alley that has dining tables and a couple of small waterfalls.

This is another of the several Zen gardens that are located in Little Tokyo. This particular one is at the Buddhist temple on the corner of 3rd Street and Central Avenue.

Along Spring Street, adjacent to Olvera Street, is another new park. Mostly build to be used as an amphitheater, it is not yet open regularly.

Right next to the above park is this vertical garden, a wall planted with various ornamental and edible plants.

Next to the old cathedral, now just simply called Vibiana, is this garden. Only open for events the old cathedral is rented out for, this used to be the archbishop's personal meditation garden.

This is a new pocket park just north of the corner of 3rd and Main Street behind a new condo project called The Medallion. A nice grassy area overlooking a food court (that is still waiting for it's first tenant). Kind of a lonely place right now.

ADDED 5-26-2011

This plaza, for which I don't know the name, sits directly behind the Federal Building located at 300 N. Los Angeles Street...about a block south of Union Station. It separates the Federal Building from the Roybal Courthouse and the Metropolitan Detention Center.

There is this nice, shady lawn area and there's a cool fountain on the other side of those columns. A big sculpture of two guys fighting with a lot of holes in them is at the other end. The official name of it is "Molecule Man" but most people call it the "Drive By." The columns are also covered with a bas relief sculpture that a federal judge tried to have removed as obscene...he didn't succeed.

It's a safe place to take a break as it is well guarded on all sides by U.S. Police and marshalls, even if you do hear the taunts of the prisoners in their exercise yard up above.

Note for wheelchair users: you can access the plaza via the veranda surrounding the Federal Building. There are two ramps, one starting at the corner of Aliso and Los Angeles Streets and the other about 50 feet east of the corner of Temple and Los Angeles Streets.

Angel's Knoll is a small park situated between the bottom of the Angel's Flight funicular and the entrance to the Pershing Square station of the Metro subway. It's pretty, provides a lot of shade on hot days, and is relaxing. The downside is that it attracts a lot of homeless. It's at 356 S. Olive on the corner of 4th Street. A ride to the top of the hill on Angel's Flight is only a quarter.

This is the Lincoln Plaza on the corner of Grand and First, across from the Disney Concert Hall. Just a small, shady plaza with a bust of our 16th president to sit by.

ADDED 4-29-2011 - These next three I'll call "Forbidden and Forbidding."

Grand Avenue Park - This will not be so hidden when it's done. Running from the Music Center to City Hall, this was a very nice pedestrian mall, a great place to take a break from the neighboring office building and home to my favorite fountain in the city. It's all been ripped out now, with a new park being built in it's place and Los Angeles' largest fountain will be restored when it's done. For now? Keep out! It's a contruction zone.

Underground Archive - On 1st Street, across from the Los Angeles Times building is this. Underneath is a large bunker that used to house the city's historical archives. When it was closed, drug dealers and the homeless moved in making it something like a George Romero movie. The riff-raff and down-and-out were swept away, the entrances sealed, and the park above fenced off. It's very pretty and includes a nice rose garden, it's a shame that the city doesn't at least keep this part above ground open as a park.

Parker Center Plaza - At least this one's open to the public. This forbidding, concrete plaza between the old Parker Center LAPD building and City Hall South is home to this art installation called "Eye of the Storm." The posts represent the malevolence of the city while the little shelter in the middle represents the LAPD's protection against it. Could use a little care and cleaning these days.

ADDED 3-23-2011

This pocket park, with a large lawn dominating it, is on Second Street between Main and Spring Streets. Great place for frisbee or just laying on the grass looking up at the dominating skyline overhead.

At the new L.A. Police Headquarters, across the street from City Hall, I found this little memorial garden up on the second floor. Almost invisible from street level, if you didn't know it was there, you'd definitely miss it. Accessible via a stairway next to the newsstand on Main Street...just south of first...or via a ramp on the west side of the Ronald Deaton Auditorium, adjacent to the LAPD building. A very quiet, sparse, and pretty place made for some personal reflection.

ADDED 3-3-2011

Fletcher Bowron Square is perched atop the underground L.A. Mall, between Main, Los Angeles, Temple, and Arcadia Streets. The persistent homeless population means it's not the most pleasant place on this list, but the gardener assigned to it is persistent and does a good job keeping it pretty. It's a frequent location of celebrations and commemorations. Loction film shoots use it a lot as an outdoor dining room for their craft services units.

It's also the home of the boondoggle known as the Triforium (on the left side of the picture above), a supposedly musical sculpture installed at a cost of one million dollars in 1975 that's never worked right. Today, it looks like an old alien craft waiting for the mothership to arrive.

At the corner of Broadway and Temple Street is the central heating and air conditioning plant for the Civic Center. Around the back is one of the most well hidden of downtown's secret gardens. I can't find any information for this one but apparently it is a xeroscaped garden...meaning landscaped for minimum water usage...that is well maintained and very pretty. A chain across the driveway discourages visitors but you can walk around that to enjoy this litte park all by yourself.

This fountain dominates an unpopulated plaza between City Hall East and City Hall South along Main Street. Wheelchair users, enter on Los Angeles Street where you'll find a stair lift. There are a lot of benches, trees, arbors, and picnic tables here that are very enticing to just relax on.

Incongruously located in the middle of a large parking lot, just to the north of the Geffen Contemporary Art Museum on Temple Street. Originally, the entire parking lot was supposed to be turned into a park. This monument to Japanese Americans that served the U.S. side in World War II is all that made it.

Nearby in Little Tokyo, this Zen garden is very hard to find but it sits behind an office building at the Japanese Plaza, near the corner of San Pedro and 2nd Streets.

Still hidden is this other Zen garden but the directions are easier. Go into the lobby of the Kyoto Grand Hotel on the corner of 2nd and Los Angeles Streets. On the south side of the lobby are two elevators, take them to the 3rd floor and you'll exit into this lovely garden that also has a beer garden in the summer.

Getting away from Little Tokyo, the new LAPD headquarters was supposed to be another park here in downtown that was cancelled but the front plaza, combined with the south lawn of City Hall makes for some good, green open space here in downtown. The only problem is 1st Street running through the middle of it.

The Church provides the next respite, on the corner of Temple and Hill Streets is the new cathedral. The interior courtyard is full of gardens, fountains, and meditation gardens. There's also a nice cafe here.

The last one is well hidden. You have to know it's there or you'll never see it. Find the Disney Hall on the corner of Grand Avenue and 1st Street. Walk around to either side. Find the staircase and climb (there's an elevator for wheelchair users on the 1st Street staircase). At the top you'll find this jewel of a pocket park complete with private tables, viewing terraces, and that delft fountain that looks like a rose.

That's just a few...I'll update this post as I add pictures to the collection. Next time you're in downtown L.A. and looking to get away from it all for a few minutes, try one of these secret gardens.

-Darryl
Copyright 2011
All rights reserved.

ROUTE 66 - Desert Photo and Video Essay

2011-11-14T05:37:00.000-08:00

Watch the Video!

Our recent tour of the American Southwest ended over a fall weekend in Laughlin, Nevada. Coming home, we didn't want to deal with the Las Vegas traffic so we detoured along Route 66 through the desert and the community of Amboy, home of the Amboy Crater.

Here are some pictures of that journey (be sure to check out the video too, at the top of this post)...

Coming into Needles, California with the Colorado River in the distance.

Another view of the river with jet skiers having some fun.

You don't need anything fancy to have fun at the river. Just pull over and jump in.

Along the Route in Needles, I'm guessing an old hotel or boarding house.

The Amboy Crater, a near perfect cinder cone from an ancient volcano.

A close up of some of the lava field surrounding the crater.

Another view of the crater.

...and one more view of the lava spreading across the desert.

-Darryl

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: Mid Priced Reposado Tequila Taste Off

2011-11-13T04:41:00.000-08:00

In this corner, from the distillery of Tequila Sauza is Hornitos Reposado. Going stateside for around $25 for a 750 mil. bottle, it's one of the biggest selling, mid priced premium tequilas.

The contender is from the Cuervo empire, Gran Centenario. Also going for around $25 a bottle, it comes in a classic, ribbed bottle.

Watch the Video!

Both are nice, smooth reposados aged in new oak barrels. Both are better than other popular reposados such as Familia Camarena and Cazadores but not as good as, say, Asombroso or Clase Azul.

Only one can be a winner, though. Watch the short video above as Tim joins me again on another taste off where we pick our winner of the mid-priced reposados.

Cheers!

-Darryl