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Big Bear Lake Parasail & Jetboat California

2011-07-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

Wanted to check out the jet boat at Big Bear Lake in California. The same company does parasailing as well. You can check out a video on it here: http://youtu.be/wENrxoWlQ_A

The ride lasts about 30 minutes and will run you about $35 per person. You get a nice tour of the lake (faster than one of the normal tour boats), but if you don't want to take a 90 minute narrated tour, than this may be for you. Overall, not a bad price for what you get and the driver was fun. If I go again, will probably do the narrated tour. This company also rents jet skis from their dock on the water, and they have quite a few to choose from.

The boat is pretty quick, and we did a few 180's, however it is definitely not the fastest boat I have been on. The one at Niagara Falls is quite a bit faster, and you get to ride over rapids.. http://youtu.be/pVThkp1ih3E

Paoli's Italian Country Kitchen - Big Bear Lake California CA

2011-07-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

Paoli's Italian Restaurant is located on a corner of the main shopping area at Big Bear Lake in California. From the outside, appears quaint, as they also have an outdoor patio and we chose the patio, since the inside was quite dark and had a small of stale bear (they have a bar next door) and this should have been the first give-away. Keep in mind, there are not allot of restaurants to choose from in Big Bear....

The cashier seated us and surprisingly also took our order. I say surprisingly because she was sitting people and we were wondering where our waitress was as it took quite awhile to get our order taken. First we ordered drinks. Ice tea....seems simple right? Wrong. Ice tea tasted like stale water...very weak in flavor.....Next drink....soda....flat! Try one more....a nice glass of Merlot....all too funny....the wine was served in a plastic juice glass.....what class.

How bad could the food be you may ask? Here is the low down:

Home made lasagna....If you ever had frozen lasagna from Costco (which I think is good), that would be a huge improvement. I was expecting to be blow away....pretty subpar dish. The other guest in our party only ate one bite. We asked for both dishes to be removed from our bill, which they did.

House salad with garlic bread. Lettuce was wilted, and tomatoes seemed old. Garlic bread was stale...what a surprise.

Hamburger - ok, nothing to rave about.

Cheese pizza - ok, nothing to rave about.

Escargot....first time I ever had this dish where the snails were NOT served in their shells....I have had lobster, crab, mussels, clams, oysters, etc and they are always served in their shells. They were a bit rubbery, which leads me to believe they came from a can or jar and were not fresh.

Here's the rating on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being outstanding.

Overall atmosphere: 2
Food and Drinks: 2
Wait staff: 2
Chances of going there again? 0

I would suggest skipping this one and save your money.

Blue Water Seafood Restaurant San Diego

2011-04-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

This place was featured on Diners, Dives and Drive-ins, and for good reason. Absolutely the best fish in the San Diego area. It's a quaint place, and usually a constant line. They have both indoor, and an outdoor seating/patio area. I highly recommend the oyster on the half shell.... Items run out, so get there early. Here is my ratings.

Oysters on the half shell (9.5 - would have been a 10, but couple small pieces of shell in 1 or 2)
Grilled shrimp sandwich, with chipotle sauce (10+)
Grilled swordfish sandwich (10)
Clam chowder (8)
Grilled talapia (10)
Chicken finger basket (9)

Ben Avery Shooting Range Phoenix Arizona

2011-04-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a place to take your guns to target practice, Ben Avery's is the place to head out to. It offers hand gun, rifle, skeet, and archery ranges. Most of the ranges are covered, so if you go in the summer, you are not going to get a suntan. They are also lit, so you can go at night as well. Entry for kids is free and for adults, it's minimal. Only downfall, is that you have to shoot at targets...can's shoot at bottles, cans, etc....upside is, it's safe.

USS Midway Ship - San Diego California

2011-04-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

If you have never been aboard an aircraft carrier, you should check one out. One in particular, is the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier located in San Diego, California. The USS Midway Museum is an unforgettable adventure for your entire family. You can explore more than 60 exhibits with a collection of 27 restored aircraft. You will want to give yourself, at minimum, 4 hours to get through the self guided tour. You are free to roam the ship, from top to bottom. There is a guided tour for the upper portion of the deck, which I highly suggest taking. If you don't mind being turned upside down, then you have to check out the Strike fighter simulator. It's fun the first time around, however can make you a bit dizzy at times.

PS. Don't forget the Fantail Cafe located on the ship. The food is quite good.

Hamburger plate (7 out of 10 stars)
Sliced turkey sandwich (8 out of 10 stars)
Roast beef sandwich (8 out of 10 stars)

Here are a few photos for your enjoyment.

Winter Safety Tips

2011-02-23T17:27:00.000-08:00

The winter is an amazing time of the year. The holidays are wonderful, and nothing is as picturesque as a snowy landscape. However, there are some dangers that can make the season a sour one. Knowing them, and preparing for them, will ensure a great winter season.

One of the most important things to do is dress appropriately for the weather. I always make sure to layer my clothing so that I can remove or add on layers as I need. I always wear a scarf, hat, and gloves when leaving the house. Doing so prevents me from getting a nasty flu or cold which could put a damper on the season.

I also watch out for ice. A friend of mine slipped and broke her ankle on ice, so I'm always keeping an eye out for it and taking my time when walking and driving after a storm.

I also make sure to have all the emergency food and supplies necessary just in case we get snowed in. Before the winter, I'll make a run to the store to pick up the stuff I need. Before I leave, I write out my list and then set my home security systems. I usually get water, canned goods, flashlights, batteries, and other items I need to make sure we have everything we need in case of a storm.

Post contributed by Hilton Miranda

Review of Al's Beef Food Restaurant

2011-01-22T10:04:00.001-08:00

Here is a quick review of the Al's Beef Restaurant

Food was good, and quite enjoyable. Here are the menu items:

Als famous italian beef sandwhich: sandwhich was the 8", dipped in their drippings, topped with sweet peppers and american cheese. Result: awesome. excellent sandwich.

Frenchfries...a bit greasy, but very good.

double hotdog: nothing too exciting here.

Blue Cheese chicken sandwich: very good sandwich, and the blue cheese was very mild.

Here is the scale rating overall (10 being best, 0 worst)

italian beef sandwich - 10
french fries - 8
hotdog - 6
blue cheese chicken sand - 8

I would definitely go back, and they give you a card to get stamped that once you buy 8 subs, the 9th is free.....reminds me of the seinfeld episode where Elaine desperately wants to get her free sub....

Elk Mountain Ski Resort Williams Arizona AZ

2011-01-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

This is a review on the Elk Mountain Ski Resort located in Williams AZ.

If you want to go snow skiing in Arizona, people typically go to SnowBowl, located in Flagstaff Arizona. From everyone I spoke of, the number of trails and lifts provides a very enjoyable experience. I will review this resort at another time.

For Elk Mountain Ski Resort, the mountain is a bit smaller and is really designed for families or for those people that are a bit newer to the snow skiing or snow boarding adventure. The lodge definitely has a smaller, homier feel to it, and I actually met the owner of the resort, Mike. Real nice guy.

The day I went, only 1 lift was running, and it was a toe rope, so you had to grab ahold of it, and keep ahold all the way up the hill...again, this hill was just right for me, as I hadn't skied in many years. I started with the snow board, but that was just painfull. Mike allowed me to traded my snow board in for skis, which I thought was really cool. I imagine other ski resorts would not allow you to do so.

So here is my 1-10 rating (10 being the best) of the facility.

Staff (courteous, helpful, informative, polite) - 10
Price (very reasonable) - 10
ski rental - 8 (ski equipment could have been newer, or maybe there should be an option to pay a bit more for better equipment)
ski area - 7 (although the area I skied was perfect for beginners, there was no additional areas to ski, since only 1 lift was running)
lift - 5 (although it was fun at first to use the toe rope, by the end of the day, it was quite tiring to use)
snow making capability - 0 (no snow machines)

Overall....solid 7 and would definitely go there again.

Shrimp & Scallops & Tiramisu from Costco

2011-01-04T06:49:00.000-08:00

The seafood roadshow occasionally comes to our local Costco roadhouse, and depending on my mood, I may purchase some shrimp, scallops or clams. One of the staff informed me that the shrimp and scallops were the same from the frozen bags they carry, except that it had been thawed. So i took advantage, and bought a bag of shrimp (prawns) and scallops for the Holiday.

The shrimp are jumbo, and have excellent taste and firmness. Not only are they good as a shrimp cocktail, but even better when making shrimp scampi. For the price, you can't go wrong...and since they come frozen, you can keep them on hand for when you want to use them.

The scallops too, have a very sweet and mild flavor, with no fishy smell. They are firm and not chewy. Lightly sauteed in butter/olive oil with some garlic and parsley is the way to go for me.

And don't forget desert. Costco is now carrying a new type of tiramisu, which is to die for. They used to carry one that was more chocolate-based, however this new one is light and creamy....just right....it's hard not to eat the whole thing in one sitting. I hope they are going to carry it all the time, and not just around the holidays.

Phoenix Firebird International Raceway & XDC Extreme Drift Racing

2010-12-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

Decided to take the family to firebird raceway in phoenix to watch the drift races, put on by XDC Extreme drift racing. We thought it would be cool to see these cars in person.

Here's the lowdown....First off, they have 2 different parking areas...one for those people who have prepurchased tickets, and one for those people that need to purchase tickets. This was not clear, so we waited in line for 45 minutes for nothing, as we had already purchased our tickets online.

Secondly, they one had half the ticket booths open, so there were 2 very long lines...which is ridiculous....why hold an event, and make people wait almost an hour to get in.....very poor planning....definitely not a good setup.

Once we arrived, we walked to where the drivers were practicing and warming up (trials). 90% of the track was enclosed by a chain link fence, so you had to view the event through the fence! Not only that, there were go-go dancers on stage dancing (they should have saved this for after the event or later in the day, not at 2 PM in the afternoon). This was supposed to be a family event, not a strip club event. On top of the dancers, the music selection included lyrics with the F word mixed in....again, not a very friend family event.

I tried to contact the president (Charlie Allen) of the race track to see what his comments were, but never heard back. Guess they don't care what their customers have to say. All I know, is it will be a long time before I go back to this place....If you have a family, I would stay clear....

Grand Canyon Angel Restaurant

2010-10-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

The service was very good, and food was quite good as well, considering the location. Menu is quite extensive, and the food was served hot. Overall a good experience and I would eat here again. Also, right outside the restaurant, is a dryers ice cream bar. Ice cream is good, however a bit overpriced.....$4 for 2 small scoops....

Little America Hotel Flagstaff Arizona Review

2010-10-08T13:19:00.002-07:00

This hotel is situation conveniently right off the interstate. The gounds are well kept and includes a heated swimming pool and hot tub. They have an onsite gas station, convenience store and small restaurant as well as a bar. Rooms are clean and if you go for the suite, you can have a queen sofa. Overall a nice experience, and I would stay here again. Plus they have $.50 ice cream cones which are pretty good....

Grand Canyon Railway Train Williams Arizona Review

2010-10-08T13:19:00.001-07:00

The Grand Canyon Railway is located in Williams Arizona, about 30 miles west of flagstaff arizona. Taking the train from Williams Arizona to the Grand Canyon takes a little over 2 hours. Max speed for the train is 40 MPH. It's a pleasant trip, and the countryside is diverse, going from relatively flat terrain, to large pine trees. I would recommend coach class, as the difference in price for first class is not worth it. You will be enterained by some singing cowboys on the way up and back from the Grand Canyon, and on the way back to Williams, the train is "robbed" by 3 bandits on horseback. Overall, the seats are comfortable and the ride is enjoyable. Look out for the lady that takes your picture...she comes around later with a set of photos she wants you to buy which are extremely overpriced...unless you like that sort of thing. The only negative I encountered, was the time you actually have at the canyon before the train departs back to williams is a little over 3 hours....doesn't give you that much time to take in the view and roam around. If I did the grand canyon again, I would definitely drive, so I have access to my belongings and can stay as long as I wanted to. So here's my rating ....0 being terrible, 10 being phenomenal.

Price of a ticket: 6 (also includes the park entrance fee)
Entertainment value: 7 (entertained before departure with a cowboy shootout, and then on the train several times)
Ride: 7 (comfort and length of time)
Staff: 7
Time allotted to visit the grand canyon: 4
Overall, nice experience....just would be nice to have more time at the canyon.

Brandys Restaurant Flagstaff Arizona Review

2010-10-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

I first learned of this restaurant through the tv show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Based on the video, the food looked good and environment enjoyable. You know the saying you shouldn't read a book by its cover? The same should hold true for video content. The dining experience was the complete opposite from the video. Initial appearance of the restaurant (clue #1) was quite drab. It was located in a small strip mall, and the inside was dark and reminded me of an old barber shop. The waiter was friendly, however it took some time to take our initial order. After ordering, we received our drinks. The house special margarita contained 95% ice, and 5% liquid....for $7.....kind of a rip off. Our food arrived, and we were excited to dig in. Two out of the 3 entrees were warm, not hot, as if it had been sitting under a heat lamp for some time. Once the food was dropped off, we never saw our server again. We were missing 2 place settings, which we had to get ourselves. We needed ketchup, which we had to go to the kitchen and ask for. We needed refills on beverages, however the server never came back to the table. Please keep in mind, there were 4-5 servers, and only about 5 active tables to wait on. So here's my rating ....0 being terrible, 10 being phenomenal.

Atmosphere and ambiance: 2
Server friendliness: 6
Food quality: 4
Service: 0
Pricing: 5 (overpriced on most items, compared to what you actually get)
Would I reccommened? Only to my enemies.....

uh hu

2009-09-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

business videos

Shop Wiki and More

2009-09-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

I use online auction sites quite a bit for deals, but I like this shopwiki site, because it makes it quite easy to comparison shop...

Ever try searching for things to buy online, like desktop computers keyboards, mice or laptops, only to end up finding sites that don't really have what you are looking for?...fear not oh weary Internet shopper, as the shopwiki site I came across actually searches tons of sites just like a search engine, only it's geared towards shopping....so in the end, using the site saves you a ton of time and you can usually find pretty good bargains to boot. It will show you a bunch of stores with their pricing, so you don't have to go to each store and search one by one by one...tremendous time saver....

In fact, one listing I just searched for, a wii video game, returned 24 stores to compare pricing...now try that one by one, going to each site, doing a search, writing down the price, etc...pain in the neck...give it a try...I think you will see the value.

Gallaghers Restaurant Review

2009-05-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

Not the best evening for a bite to eat...

Have been to Gallaghers in the past (twice) and both times were fine...tonight...a different story...

Here are the menu items and review:

combo platter....bunch of fried mushrooms (blah), zuchinni (flavorless), mozzarella sticks (ok) and potato skins (ok), and fried onion strings (ok).
Summary: Could have made something just as good (better) at home.

Sliders...stale bun...meat was good.
Summary...again, could have made a better burger at home.

Blue cheese hamburger....YUK!!! enough said.

Tenderloin sandwhich....steak was ok, but really, how creative is a sandwich that is made up of a bun, chease, and a piece of steak? was kind of boring....once again, would have rather have grilled a nice steak at home, compared to this thin piece of leather.

cheese pizza...was ok, however it reminded me of those cheap pizzas you find in the frozen food section of the grocery store.

DESERT: Peanut Butter Choc Chip cookie with ice cream...this made everything ok.....

Final thoughts....next time just going for a bear and desert.....

PS....the baked beans were good, but they mixed it with their pulled pork....would have been nice if they had mentioned this in the description on their menu!

Valkyrie Movie Review - Tom Cruise

2009-05-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

Move previews were better than the actual movie....

From seeing the movie previews, I thought this movie would be action-packed....it wasn't...with the exception of one initial seen in the beginning with the airplanes....Overall, it was a good movie and based on a true story, which is the only thing that kept me watching it....

Bottom line...well put together movie...based on a true story...a bit dry.

Seven Pounds Movie Review - Will Smith

2009-05-25T12:35:00.001-07:00

what can I say...awesome movie.

I really don't think I have ever have come across a bad Will Smith movie, and this one is no exception. No explosions or special effects, just a great story line. This type of movie is the one I usually dont watch, as I like the explosions and special effects in most movies, with the plot being less important.

I was surprised at the emotion I felt, especially towards the end of the movie. This is a must see movie, and I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Road Rage Man toy

2009-03-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

This is one of may all time favorite toys...Road Rage Man. Too funny. Love the shifting sounds.

Frys Marketplace filet mignon vs Costco steak

2009-03-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

I was really quite surprised by this side-by-side comparison of filet mignon steak. The two determining factors for this test was taste and texture. Fry's steak is a bit more expensive than costco's, however costo has a better meat selection. Both were aged in the fridge for about a week. I grilled both steaks on the BBQ, and in the end, the fry's steak was more tender and had more flavor. Who would have knew?

Love this video - animusic

2009-02-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

This is one of the coolest videos...would love to have a copy of this software

JustAFew Just-A-Few Just A Few - too funny

2009-02-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

I came across this video on youtube. It's a paraody on all the drug commercials you see on tv. You have to check it out:

Olive Garden Restaurant

2009-02-16T18:43:00.000-08:00

I like the olive garden restaurant, however it seems like it has gotten a bit more pricey than what I can remember...for the wait, I would have rather have gone to a more upscale restaurant...next time perhaps. Food was good as was the service...did have a fun time....just was a bit surprised with the bill.

Barrett Jackson Car Show Scottsdale Arizona

2009-02-16T17:48:00.000-08:00

If you want to check out some really cool cars, both old and new, you have to go to the Barrett-Jackson car show in scottsdale arizona. They have tons of muscle cars, exotics and tuners to look at and buy. Plus, they have a tremendous amount of vendors inside the tents. Check out this dyno drag ford had going on during the show...hope you like the pics...