Free things to do in LA

I’ve got some college buddies staying with me for the week. Two are unemployed, one is engaged, and the other is just a cheapskate, and they’ve never been to Los Angeles before. So they want a complete tour of LA…for free. Fortunately, they’ve got me as their guide and I know the ins and outs [...]

California Outlet Malls

I’m not going to lie: I like wearing name brands. I work in an office where what you wear somewhat defines who you are, and pathetic as that sounds, if you don’t play the game, you won’t get the gain. When you’re wearing something nice, you act differently, more professional and more secure—and those things [...]

Wine spas in the U.S. (mainly California)

Now there’s a concept. I only recently became introduced to the concept of the “wine spa” recently when I treated my girlfriend (who is now an ex-girlfriend, but I promise it was not spa related) to a weekend up in Wine Country that included some spa going. We discovered that it’s quite a trend to [...]

Ski season already? Early season ski resorts get ready!

I was watching the news the other day and heard “lizard watch” which I thought was odd. My friend said that they had said “blizzard watch” but I dismissed that because I thought it was an impossibility for blizzards to start so early in the year. But he was right—a blizzard watch started in the [...]

A Kid’s Guide to L.A.

It’s been a while since I’ve put in my two cents on the California scene, and when my sister and her two little kids came for a visit, it inspired me to do a little research. So here’s a list of fun activities for kids in the Los Angeles area. Some are more obvious and [...]

New Orchid Species Discovered at Yosemite

Okay, so this discovery is already a year old, but I came across this MSNBC article just now as I was planning my last trip to Yosemite National Park (I went with some buddies last week).
There is a new species of orchid that can be found only in the wet meadow of Yosemite. The flowers [...]

Summer Fun with your Pup

After I posted about skiing with your dog, I realized that I should’ve written something perhaps a bit more practical. So here’s another quick list of amusement parks, parks, malls, and other attractions in California that are pet-friendly—either they have kennel facilities or let you roam around with your dog. (I’m not much of a [...]

Dog-Friendly Ski Resorts in California

I know ski season is over, but I just came across this great resource that lists pet-friendly ski resorts by state. And since I myself have needed a list like this, I thought I’d share. First, from the website, www.petswelcome.com:
“Okay, you’re probably thinking that dogs and cats aren’t meant for skiing. But neither are people. [...]

New State Park in Washington State

Great news for the West Coast! Washington State has just opened its first new state park in more than a decade. Located on the southwest shore of Camano Island is the brand new Cama Beach State Park.
Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen calls the new state park “a jewel”, according to the article in USA Today, which [...]

I hope you didn’t believe me…

I received a frantic call from my little sister (who reads my blog religiously) who was so confused about my last post on San Diego Zoo’s Future. So just to clear my record here, The Onion is a SATIRE WEBSITE where about half the articles are satires of current events, and half are just plain [...]