California Beaches Blog http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog Vacation Beaches in California Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:08:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 en hourly 1 CaliforniaBeachesBloghttp://feedburner.google.com San Francisco’s Love of the Good Life and Happy Hour! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaliforniaBeachesBlog/~3/Ot3i35PHscw/ http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3038#comments Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:08:22 +0000 Beach Reporter http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3038 If you missed the story about San Francisco ranking more 4 diamond restaurants than any other city in California, then you still have time to check out this one. Happy Hour begins afternoons when the fog rolls in and friends cozy up to a cocktail lounge where really great appetizers, menu items and drinks are served at amazing discounts at many San Francisco hotels. The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau (SFCVB) compiled a list (though they didn’t admit to sampling & sipping, or performing their own Diamond rating tests,) of places us tourists and locals should check out when checking into the city by the bay.

These offers are subject to change but as of this posting, are fairly accurate and worth a visit just to write your own analysis:

  • Mandarin Oriental -  345 Club Lounge / MO Bar
    • MO Bar is the social center of the Mandarin Oriental, in the heart of the Financial District. An intimate setting perfect for enjoying cocktails with taste, a  “VIP Happy Hour” includes $3 bottled beers, $5 Sangria and $7 premium wine selections.
    • Mon.-Fri., 4:30-8:30 p.m.
    • Address: 222 Sansome St.
    • mandarinoriental.com

  • Bar 888 at the InterContinental
    • Bar 888 in San Francisco’s newest hotel (there are two InterContinental hotels in San Francisco) features classic and contemporary cocktails and grappa-based drinks.
    • $5 and $6 beer specials, $7 wines, cocktails for $8.88 and delicious bar bites created by Chef Dominique Crenn of newly Michelin-starred Luce restaurant.
    • Happy Hour is Mon.- Fri. from 4-8 p.m.
    • 888 Howard St. at 5th St.
    • grappabar888.com

]]> http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3038 http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3038 Huntington Beach New Monthly Art Walk - Call to Artists http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaliforniaBeachesBlog/~3/awKSut8FkyE/ http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3036#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:50:02 +0000 Beach Reporter http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3036 Calling all artists!

If you would like to show your art work up to four times next year, a new event invites you to submit your application. Art Walk in Downtown Huntington Beach (California), will feature a monthly art evening with works displayed by guest artists in participating  merchant shops and restaurants. The year is divided into four quarters in which artists can apply to show their work once during each quarter. There is no fee to participate, but art content guidelines exist.

The event is sponsored by the non-profit Huntington Beach Downtown Business Improvement District (HBDBID) as part of its marketing plan to promote and enhance the visitor experience to downtown Huntington Beach.  This seaside shopping, dining and entertainment district includes hotels, restaurants, and unique stores and boutiques.

Each artist will be responsible for setting up their own work. For more information, including Huntington Beach Art Walk dates, and the application, visit www.hbdowntown.com

]]> http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3036 http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3036 Disney’s Imagination Movers Appear in California http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaliforniaBeachesBlog/~3/-l4pAiuvXmc/ http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3033#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:32:27 +0000 Beach Reporter http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3033

Imagination Movers won an Emmy for “Best Song in Children’s Programming”. Now they are on the road and will appear in several cities in California in December.

  • Dec.5 you can find them at the Nokia Club in L.A.
  • Dec.6 they will appear at the Fox Oakland Theatre
  • Dec.8 they will preform at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
  • Dec.9 you can find them at Saroyan Theatre in Fresno.

Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney features the songs along with an Imagination Movers TV series. Beastie Boys Meets Mister Rogers has been one description of this band comprised mostly of fathers of kids who create music that their own children love.  Healthy tunes that include positive messages for kids, a lively stage presentation, and plenty of color & props make for a show that could be the best present your child will ever experience this holiday. Get ticket info and locations on imaginationmoverstour.com

]]> http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3033 http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3033 Taxed to Death in California, Good News, Bad News http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaliforniaBeachesBlog/~3/ObdfvMzt8Fk/ http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3031#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:53:16 +0000 Beach Reporter http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3031 Do you feel like you are being taxed to death in California as you ready yourself for another year of income tax preparation? There are only a few weeks remaining to employ certain tax strategies.

Some good news for inbound travelers to the U.S. - The Department of Agriculture agreed not to raise fees for inbound trips. United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) agreed to withdraw the plan for a 10 percent increase of fees paid by incoming travelers to the United States. Increasing its fees  by 61% since Jan. 2005, the fee hike proposal would have amounted to an increase of 77% over five years.

Bad news for Californians — California sales tax increased in April 2009, and now  is the highest in the United States, ranging from around 8.25% to 9.75%. Our gasoline prices are the second highest in the U.S., just below Alaska.  Cities want to levy new taxes, the California State Parks want to add a car license tax and there will be more taxes to come.  Currently , if you rent a car in California, you pay a fee for  California tourism marketing.  If you stay in a hotel in many cities, in addition to Transient Occupancy Tax, there are special fees that are earmarked for other city uses on top of TOT.

Some good news for those who feared they’d never dig out of the hole in fees –California Toll Road Refunds Excessive Penalties in Orange County, California in $42 million settlement. California motorists won a settlement last month from the Orange County Transportation Agency (OCTA) and Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA). The toll road operating entities agreed to pay $1.4 million in restitution and waive $41 million in unpaid toll penalties after a lawsuit alleged the fines were excessive and that the denial of due process to the accused was unconstitutional.

Stephanie and Brian Young’s toll road account credit card expired without their awareness, they said. But when $580 in unpaid tolls turned into a demand to pay $53,550 in fines, they sued.  Maria and Pablo Gonzalez had a $60.14  fine in tolls that turned into $78,780.

The agencies have agreed to make a number of procedural changes designed to prevent future problems. E-mail will be used to notify toll road users of problems such as low account balances and a thirty-day notice will be given before an account suspension. The agencies promise to keep accurate records. Notice of an alleged toll violation must be mailed within ten days. Alleged toll road violations will be subject to hearings that will now be conducted in a fair manner.

Finally, if you feel you are being taxed to death, certain death taxes were rolled back several years ago so that heirs to an estate weren’t taxed as much. But the current administration wants to raise the death taxes to higher sums once again. The savings were  short-lived.

]]> http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3031 http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3031 USC Football Coach John Robinson Featured at Trojan Dinner http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaliforniaBeachesBlog/~3/mnlqoH6vLgc/ http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3029#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:38:04 +0000 Beach Reporter http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3029 Orange County, CA – The Trojan Club of Orange County (TCOC) will host its second dinner and speaker event on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, featuring College Football Hall of Fame Coach John Robinson at the Doubletree Hotel in Santa Ana at 6:15 p.m.  See map

John Robinson is best known for his two stints as head coach of the University of Southern California (USC) football team and for his tenure as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. His USC teams won four Rose Bowls, and captured a share of the 1978 national championship.  In 2009, Robinson was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Also attending the event with be Dr. Arthur C. Bartner, The Spirit of Troy marching band & USC Song Girls, along with members from Coach Robinson’s 1979 USC Rose Bowl Championship team, including Heisman Trophy winner Charles White and Lombardi Trophy winner Brad Budde.

For dinner reservations, call (714) 921-1101, email Roger@TCOC.us or visit www.TCOC.us for more information.  Individual tickets are $48 in advance and $52 at the door.

The TCOC is once again sponsoring the popular “Home Game Bus” program during the 2009 football season in which rooter buses will depart Orange County for the Los Angeles Coliseum for all USC home football games.  For bus reservations, call (714) 921-1101, email Roger@TCOC.us or visit www.TCOC.us for more information.
-continued-

TCOC membership and meetings are open to the more than 30,000 Trojan alumni living in Orange County as well as extended members of the Trojan Family and their friends (open to the public .) See Trojan Statue on USC campus

]]> http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3029 http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3029 AAA Four Diamond Hotels in California http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaliforniaBeachesBlog/~3/OLjR0QPevW4/ http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3026#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:41:55 +0000 Beach Reporter http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3026 While AAA (Automobile Club of America) recently announced their 2010 Five Diamond Hotels, the Four Diamonds were missing. It turns out that Fives get announced first, then the Fours usually come a few weeks later. We try to keep a running tab on the results.

In 2009, the Four Diamond Hotels were quite important to some hoteliers who contacted our website and told us their “four” was listed as a three. “Can you please change that?” one GM asked. On further inspection, the hotel really was only a three, and you can’t just say you are a four (better) or five (top) if you aren’t.

What is of interest is not the hotels that have had high ratings for years, but the newcomers that we’ve stayed at and see have been added to the list in the past one or two years. Some have done remodels, some added spas, and other touches that now put them on the list. For your enjoyment before the 2010 Four Diamond list comes out, here are the newcomers who we will watch for on the upcoming announcements to see if they stay.

Future analysis will look at some amazing facts such as Anaheim, with nearly as many hotels as any city in California, has only one or two four - five diamond AAA hotels! The city is truly geared for the budget traveler who wants to spend most their money inside the Disneyland theme park, not outside.
BODEGA BAY
Bodega Bay Lodge & Spa, 1
CAMBRIA
Pelican Cove Inn, 1
HOLLYWOOD
Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa, 1
INDIAN WELLS
Miramonte Resort and Spa,1
LA JOLLA
The Grande Colonial, 1
NEWPORT BEACH
Fairmont Newport Beach, 2
PALO ALTO
Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto, 2
SACRAMENTO
Le Rivage Hotel, 1
SAN DIEGO
Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, 1
Pacific Terrace Hotel, 2
The Grand Del Mar, 1
The US Grant, 2
The Westgate Hotel, 2
SAN FRANCISCO
InterContinental San Francisco, 1
St. Regis Hotel San Francisco, 2
SAN JOSE
San Jose Marriott, 2
SUTTER CREEK
The Foxes Inn of Sutter Creek Bed & Breakfast, 1
UNIVERSAL CITY
Hilton Universal City & Towers, 2
WEST HOLLYWOOD
Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas, 2
The London West Hollywood, 1

]]> http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3026 http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3026 Book Review: Roadside Baseball by Chris Epting http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaliforniaBeachesBlog/~3/M2teIZ4NPQs/ http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3024#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:23:29 +0000 Beach Reporter http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3024

Book Review: Roadside Baseball by Chris Epting, published by The Sporting News

Anyone who loves sports will be absolutely fascinated by the new edition of this fabulous book and be able to find incredible trivia about baseball-related stuff that happened near them no matter where they live or lived. It’s divided into East, South, Midwest, West and Outside the Lines (Alaska, Hawaii and Canada).  Chris Epting, an accomplished researcher and writer, not only examines old fields, statues, museums and much more, he also lists hall of famers buried in specific states. The old ballplayer, stadium and promotion posters are fun to look at.

I particularly liked his section on the West because I’ve lived or worked near several of these special sites, without hearing of their significance. Like La Palma Park in Anaheim, where Joe DiMaggio played games while stationed at the Santa Ana Army Air Base; Pearson Park, not far from La Palma Park, where Connie Mack’s Athletics played Spring Training games during the 1940s, and the Gateway Shopping Center in Brea, which covers the site of where the famed Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson played in a barnstorming game (Ruth’s team won 12-1 and the Babe hit two home runs). Buy Epting’s book and read the amazing story of how Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run, in of all places, Toronto, back in 1914. It’s a great, and largely unknown story to most of us. How many people knew that George Brett, and his three brothers, who also played professional baseball, all attended El Segundo High?

This most enjoyable nostalgic trip includes current spots, like McCovey Cove at AT&T Park in San Francisco, where I’ve seen lefthanded sluggers hit the ball into the water over the right field fence, causing a frenzy among small craft, trying to capture the sinking hardball. If you need to get a sportsfan a Holiday present, “Roadside Baseball,” is a must buy.  C. MacDonald

]]> http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3024 http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3024 Hot From the Restaurant Kitchen! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaliforniaBeachesBlog/~3/FIQ2kJ8dWfw/ http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3022#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:03:24 +0000 Beach Reporter http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3022 In 2009 the restaurant business in the U.S. and California saw a continued dip in sales, with some recent uptick in the past few months.

Here’s what’ hot this year:

  • Hottest trends on 2009 restaurant menus: nutrition and philosophy-driven food choices.
  • The top 10 trends: locally grown produce, bite-size desserts, organics, healthy kids’ meals, new/fabricated meat cuts, kids’ vegetable/fruit side dishes, superfruits such as acai and mangosteen, small plates, tapas, mezze, dim sum, artisanal liquor, sustainable seafood.
  • The top alcohol trends: micro-distilled liquor, culinary cocktails and organic wine. Top non-alcoholic beverage trends: specialty iced tea, organic coffee and flavored water.
  • Leading culinary trend themes: nutrition, gluten-free, allergy-conscious and food-alcohol pairings.

What will we see in 2010?  The top trend in restaurant kitchens next year will be environmentally friendly equipment and practices.

- Survey from National Restaurant Association - American Culinary Federation chefs forecast.

]]> http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3022 http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3022 Where in the World is Weott? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaliforniaBeachesBlog/~3/CGG9EviAiK8/ http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3020#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:23:00 +0000 Beach Reporter http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3020 Maybe you haven’t heard of Weott, named for the Native American Wiyot Indians who lived in the Northern California coastal region for thousands of years, hunting, fishing for salmon and gathering roots for medicine, food and basketry. Today, Weott enjoys beautiful surroundings and a bounty of things to do that include many of the same  activities that have been popular for thousands of years… fishing, hiking, etc.

Weott is located along Highway 101 in the majestic California Redwood forests 45 miles south of coastal Eureka. This small town is situated in a valley surrounded by the tall trees that have existed and grown for several thousand years.

Adjacent to Weott is Humboldt Redwoods State Park along the scenic Avenue of the Giants. It encompasses 52,000 acres, including over 17,000 acres of ancient old-growth coast redwood forest. The State Park is located 45 miles south of Eureka along the Avenue of the Giants and 20 miles north of Garberville. The area receives 60 to 80 inches of rain each year, mostly in October through May.

This park is California’s largest Redwood state park and includes the Rockefeller Forest, the largest remaining contiguous old-growth coast redwood forest in the world. The trees are thousands of years old and have never been logged with the forest looking much as it did 100 years ago.

A natural Coast Redwood forest is a perfect recycling system. The soil (like that in any high-rainfall climate) contains few nutrients; most of the substance necessary for life is in the trees themselves, living and dead, and in the other plants and animals of the forest. If trees are removed from the forest instead of being allowed to die and decay naturally, many nutrients are lost from the cycle.  Read more about Weott

]]> http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=3020 http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=3020 2010 California Marathons Scheduled http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaliforniaBeachesBlog/~3/meIYeZxGUvI/ http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=2866#comments Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:08:21 +0000 Beach Reporter http://www.beachcalifornia.com/blog/?p=2866 Are you a California marathon runner? If so, you are probably way ahead of us in knowing the schedule and dates of the 2010 marathon runs that we are posting to our calendar. The variety of landscapes for the marathons is amazing, running from scenic beach courses to the giant redwood forests.  To date we’ve found around 10 marathons that skirt or take place along the Pacific in beach cities ranging from San Diego to San Francisco. The beach marathons include: San Diego, Carlsbad, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, San Pedro, Catalina Island, Carmel, Aptos, San Francisco and Sausalito.

For runners, California is the ideal place to participate in a marathon, thanks to the weather conditions that are normally quite mild. Add to that great destinations where you can stay, and you have yourself one of the finest opportunities to run with thousands of others who will spur you on and help you only get better. Family members like to attend, and volunteers often come to pitch in.

Jan 17, 2010 Sunday
Redding Marathon, Relay & 5K  26.2M run, 26.2M relay, 5K run
held in Redding, CA

Saturday, Jan 23, 2010
Diamond Valley Lake Marathon
26.2M run, 13.1M run, 5K run
San Jacinto, CA

Sunday, Jan 24, 2010
Carlsbad Marathon & Half Marathon  26.2M run, 13.1M run, 1M run
Carlsbad, CA

Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010
Death Valley Trail Marathon & 30K 26.2M trail run, 30K trail run
Death Valley, CA

Sunday, Feb 7, 2010
Surf City USA Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K & Kids Race 26.2M run, 13.1M run, 5K run, kids run
Huntington Beach, CA

Saturday, Feb 13, 2010
Buzz Marathon - 26.2M run, 13.1M run, 5K run, 1M run
San Miguel, CA

Sunday, Feb 21, 2010
Pasadena Marathon - 26.2M run, 13.1M run, 5K run, 5K walk
Pasadena, CA

Sunday, Mar 7, 2010
Napa Valley Marathon 26.2M run, 5K fun run
Napa Valley, CA

Saturday, Mar 13, 2010
Catalina Marathon
26.2M run, 26.2M walk, 10K run, 5K race walk, kids run
Catalina Island, CA

Sunday, Mar 21, 2010
Los Angeles Marathon - 26.2M run, 5K run
Los Angeles, CA

Saturday, Apr 3, 2010
Golden Gate Headlands Marathon, Half Marathon & 7M
26.2M trail run, 13.1M trail run, 7M trail run
Sausalito, CA

Apr 17, 2010
Diablo Marathon & 50 Mile Endurance Run
50M trail run, 26.2M trail run
Clayton, CA

Apr 18, 2010
River City Marathon & Half Marathon
26.2M run, 13.1M run, 10K run, 10K walk, 5K run, 5K walk
Sacramento, CA

Apr 25, 2010
Big Sur International Marathon
26.2M run, 26.2M relay, 21M walk, 10.6M walk, 9M run, 5K run
Carmel, CA

May 2, 2010
Avenue of the Giants Marathon
26.2M run, 13.1M run, 10K run
Weott, CA

May 2, 2010
Avia OC Marathon
26.2M run, 13.1M run, 5K run, 5K walk, kids run
Newport Beach, CA

May 2, 2009
Palos Verdes Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K
26.2M run, 13.1M run, 5K run, 5K walk
San Pedro, CA

May 2, 2009
Wild Wild West Marathon and 50K
50K trail run, 26.2M trail run, 10M trail run, 3M trail run
Lone Pine, CA

May 8, 2010
Jenkinson Lake Trail Runs
50K trail run, 26.2M trail run, 16M trail run, 8M trail run
Pollock Pines, CA

Jun 6, 2009
Forest of Nisene Marks Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K
26.2M run, 13.1M run, 5K run
Aptos, CA

Jun 6, 2010
Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon
26.2M run, 26.2M walk
San Diego, CA

Jul 25, 2010
San Francisco Marathon
26.2M run, 26.2M relay, 13.1M run, 5K fun run, 5K walk
San Francisco, CA

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