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 often lead to success. That’s not to say that I go to Rodeo Drive to get my suits; on the contrary, part of being a good dresser means being a good shopper, and I definitely know where to find the deals. And California, I think more than most states, is filled with fantastic outlet malls. Here’s a list, organized from North to South:

• Shasta Factory Outlets – Anderson, California
• St. Helena Premier Outlets – St. Helena, California
• Factory Stores at the Y – South Lake Tahoe, California
• Napa Premium Outlets – Napa, California
• Petaluma Village Premium Outlets – Petaluma, California
• Gilroy Premium Outlets – Gilroy, California
• American Tin Cannery Premium Outlets – Pacific Grove, California
• Mascadero Factory Outlets – Atascadero, California
• Prime Outlets – Pismo Beach, California
• Tanger Outlet Center – Barstow, California
• Barstow Outlets – Barstow, California
• Desert Hills Premium Outlets – Cabazon, California
• Cabazon Outlet Mall – Cabazon, California
• Camarillo Premium Outlets – Camarillo, California
• Citadel Outlet Mall – Commerce, California
• Ontario Mills Outlet Mall – Ontario, California
• Lake Elsinore Outlets Mall – Lake Elsinore, California
• Carlsbad Premium Outlets – Carlsbad, California

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 include wine and grapes in spa treatments. Apparently it’s a tradition from Bordeaux, France that made its way over to the U.S., and particularly to Northern California. Most of these spas (following) are located in vineyards or are at least nearby. I’ll list the spa and then one or two treatments offered on their spa menu that includes grapes or wine.

• The Spa at the Carneros Inn – Napa, California – Chardonnay Anti-Oxidant Wine Therapy Facial
• Bernardus Lodge & Spa – Carmel Valley, California – Lavender Grape Seed Bath
• Silverado Resort and Spa – Napa, California – Chardonnay Sugar Scrub
• The Raindance Spa at the Lodge of Sonoma – Sonoma, California Grape Seed Antioxidant Facial
• Meadowood Resort – Napa Valley, California – Cabernet Crush Body Polish
• Spa Vigne at the Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn – Los Olivos, California – Grape Seed Body Butter Massage, Wine Infusion Wrap
• Auberge du Soileil Resort & Spa – Rutherford (Napa Valley), California – Rosehip and Grape Seed Body Masque, Warm Grape Seed Oil Massage
• Mount View Hotel & Spa – Calistoga, California – Rosemary Grape Seed Scrub
• Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa – San Louis Obispo, California – Chardonnay Anti-Aging Wrap, Chardonnay Antioxidant Sugar Scrub
• Waterstone Spa at the Lithia Springs Resort & Gardens – Ashland, Oregon – Champagne and Rose Body Scrub
• Chateau E’lan Winery & Spa Resort – Braselton, Georgia – Chateau Winery Harvest Crush, Antioxidant Winery Bath

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 some are a bit more obscure. Feel free to add to the list!

• Disneyland – Anaheim
• Six Flags Magic Mountain – Valencia
• Knott’s Berry Farm Theme Park – Buena Park
• Santa Monica Pier
• Museum of Television and Radio – Beverly Hills
• Magicopolis
• Legoland – Carlsbad, California
• Museum of Science & Technology
• Los Angeles County Natural History Museum
• Sea World – San Diego, California
• Knott’s Soak City Water Park – Buena Park (Orange County)
• Pacific Park
• Venice Beach – Los Angeles
• Zimmer Children’s Museum
• Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens
• LA Children’s Museum

San Francisco

I can’t believe our family trip has already come and gone so quickly! I don’t think I have ever had such a jam packed vacation. Usually we’ll go somewhere A LOT smaller and spend most of the time on the beach or hiking, with a museum or theme park thrown in for kicks. This time, we spent the entire time on the go. it was exhausting, to say the least, but fun. The kids had a great time and I really felt like they deserved it after a difficult year, moving and all.

We did the things that were on my list: Basic Brown Bear Factory (loved it!), the Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf (helloooo Elvis!), and Alcatraz Island (Julia threw up on the ferry, but otherwise, fun!). We also went to Pier 39, at Fisherman’s Wharf where we bought tons of junk and saw sea lions (which Justin loved).

Other big hits were the Exploratorium which was fantastic, the de Young Museum which I loved, but mainly because it was just me and my dad. My mom took the kids to the Golden Gate Park. One day we went to the Ghirardelli store and then rented bikes and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito. Had lunch, and ferried back (Julia was fine that time). That was probably the best day.

We spent a day on Baker Beach only having to shield the kids’ eyes a few times. (NOTE: if you want to stick near clothed (at least minimally) beach goers, stay away from the northern section of the beach). We went to Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland (cute), the Chabot Space & Science Center, and Waterworld Park.

And more! It was definitely our best trip. I only got into a few fights with my parents (which is NOTHING) and the kids got to see their cousin and my brother is doing great. it was such a relief to have things out of my hands, the planning, the paying, the transportation. And the best part…is that it’s nice to be home!

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 have long spears with yellow colored mini ball-shaped buds. It’s not the appearance which stands out and helped with its discovery, but its smell, or rather, I should say, stench. Botanist Alison Colwell likens the smell to sweaty feet—and she’s right, I recently discovered for myself.

Meanwhile, I had fun up there. I went with four other guys, one of whom just got married last night, so it was a sort of bachelor long weekend adventure. We hiked Yosemite and went rafting on the Merced River. We stayed at the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino where we lost a shitload of money and drank a shitload of alcohol—which is why, come to think of it, why we lost so much money.

But hey, you’re only young once.

(Thanx Alison Colwell / AP and MSNBC)

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 kennel guy myself…) This is more summer appropriate, right?

• Disneyland – Anaheim, California
• Legoland – Carlsbad, California
• SeaWorld – San Diego, California
• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor – Valencia, California
• Universal Studios Hollywood – Universal City, California
• Griffith Observatory – Los Angeles, California
• Hollywood Walk of Fame – Hollywood, California
• Travel Town Museum
• Dog Beach – Huntington Beach, California (Huntington Cliffs)
• LA’s Griffith Park – Los Angeles, California
• The Grove – Los Angeles, California
• Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive Shopping District – Beverly Hills, California
• Leo Carrillo State Beach – Malibu, California
• Angeles National Forest – Los Angeles, California
• Whittier Narrows Nature Center – South el Monte, California
• Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area – Thousand Oaks, California

Happy Summer!

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 JOKES. So the San Diego Zoo is NOT merging with any prisons, not now and (probably) not ever.

Dr. Beach recommends…

I’m SO frustrated! We were just in the Tampa area and were choosing between a few beaches in the area and DIDN’T go to Caladesi Island State Park Beach. And NOW, only now, do I read that Dr. Beach rates Caladesi Island SP as the TOP beach in America!

Caladesi Island is a barrier island north of Clearwater (which is not far from Tampa Bay) with white sands, crystal clear, steel-blue Gulf waters, and forests filled with birds and wildlife.

Stephen P. Leatherman (a.k.a. Dr. Beach) makes a list of the nation’s best beaches every year, and I ALWAYS look at, but for some reason it escaped my mind this year.

The other beaches in the top ten for 2008 are:

• Hanalei Bay Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
• Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota, Florida (which is also not SO far from Tampa…grrrrr.)
• Coopers Beach, (Southampton, New York)
• Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
• Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
• Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii
• Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, North Carolina
• Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida
• Beachwalker County Park Beach, Kiawali Island, South Carolina

So no big deal…just next time I need to check the list before heading out to the beach!

San Diego Zoo’s future?

The Vacationer presents : Is this the future of San Diego Zoo ?

The Onion states that due to lack of funds, the San Diego Zoo and the Ironwood Prison will be joining forces to create a single-campus that brings together local inmates and wildlife to live together under one roof. The new name? San Diego Maximum Security Zoological & Convict Reserve.

You should read the article, but just for a taste:
“This is, without a doubt, the only facility of its kind,” said warden Jeff Thurston, noting the zoo-prison’s authentic natural environments and thick bullet-proof glass. “At any given time, visitors may be able to spot as many as three parole violators and up to five adult black bears in the same holding cell. During scheduled feedings, that number may be even higher.”

The article also states that a similar merge was done with Orlando’s SeaWorld and the Ryan E. Puttnam Mental Asylum.

---

Related Travel Guide Topics:

• Zoos and Aquariums in San Diego and Los Angeles, California
• Fun facts about San Diego and Southern California coast
• Family Vacation Ideas for San Diego, California
• Luxury Vacations for San Diego, Southern California coast
• Romantic Vacation Getaways in San Diego, Laguna Beach, Los Angeles
• Shopping in San Diego, Laguna Beach, Malibu, Los Angeles – California

Yosemite’s mighty treedom

People spend their entire lives studying the trees in Yosemite National Park. Some of the world’s oldest, tallest, and most beautiful trees are found in Yosemite and the nearby Sierra National Forest.

Sequoias are the famed great giants, with the oldest and most magnificent being the Grizzly Giant, standing strong for 2,700 years. Really is something. It’s 30 feet thick and 20 stories tall. It’s in the Wawona region of Yosemite in the Mariposa Grove.

Check out prettysleepy’s blogpost for a good list of famous trees in Yosemite worth visiting. Good pictures, great explanations.

It would be silly not to mention the Avenue of the Giants here. The Avenue is a 31 mile scenic portion of highway located in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Obviously you should get out of your car and hike through Founder’s Grove, Gould Grove, or the Burlington Beach trail. Redwoods are one of California’s claims to fame, so you should get well acquainted on this little excursion.

Other great spots for fulfilling treehugging fantasies include Praire Creek Redwoods State Park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and Redwood National and State Parks.

Stay tuned for more California nature buzz….

---

Related Travel Guide Topics:

• Nature and Wildlife in Lake Tahoe, Reno, Yosemite, Sequoia, in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains
• Adventure Travel in Lake Tahoe, Reno, Yosemite, Sequoia, in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains
• Family Vacation Ideas for Lake Tahoe, Reno, Yosemite, Sequoia, in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains
• Outdoor Sports and Recreation in Lake Tahoe, Reno, Yosemite, Sequoia, in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains
• Nature and Wildlife in San Francisco Bay Area, Carmel, Napa Valley, Central California Coast
• Nature and Wildlife in the Northern California Coast from Bodega Bay to Mendocino to Eureka
• Nature and Wildlife in San Diego, Venice, Laguna Beach, Los Angeles, Malibu, Santa Barbara, Southern California