A Gardener in Venice

I met Brian, a grad student teaching philosophy at UCLA, as he was watering his vibrant, healthy garden on a back street in Venice Beach.  His girlfriend put the plants in and he was taking care of them.  Did you know that when you work in your garden, after 5 minutes, your blood pressure goes down?  Now, that's a good thing!  So.........get digging!

Just in Case

Here is Venice Beach, California.........it's a scene and has been for many, many years.  There are characters all over the place-----and I was one of them!

Ready to Skate

Lynn and her friend, Amanda, showed me around Venice Beach.  There was a lot to see and I mean, a lot.  Vendors were set up along the boardwalk and their stands go on and on and on.

Making a Living

This is one way vendors along Venice Beach survive.  They sculpt.  There was a little tin can for donations to the artist who created this octopus and I put in a dollar.

Tweet, Tweet

Beth, who hails from Nashville, has been a vendor on the Venice Beach boardwalk for awhile.  The permits are free and it's on a first come, first served basis.  (The artists may only sell their own creations, also.)  She arrives around 7:30 and stakes out her territory and happily told me, "I make a pretty good living doing this and it's fun!"  See the little wire sculpture of the bird closest to us, it will be making its nest in my doghouse at Sunset Beach!

Welcome to the Hotel Del

I'm in front of one of the largest wooden structures in the United States. This is the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, California.  I loved the architecture as it reminded me of the big beach hotels built at the turn of the century.  Step inside for a "cook's" tour of the 5 kitchens.

Pretty Fancy Lobby

Just look at this chandelier at the main entrance to the hotel-----Fancy Nancy would be really happy here!  Don't know Fancy Nancy?  She's a fancy young girl who teaches vocabulary through literature.  Author Jane O'Connor uses clever themes and fabulous illustrations to showcase new words in a fun way.  (FYI---Jane's sister is the editor in chief of the New York Times, Jill Abramson.)

The Tour Guide

Jessie was all smiles as she led about 40 seniors, who were on a field trip for a cooking class, and me down a back stairway to the kitchen innards of the Hotel Del Coronado.  Follow along.........

Soup's On!

I think I could fit myself and about a hundred more of me into these giant soup kettles!  They were huge and a good place to play "hide-n-seek".

Happy Birthday Day to YOU!

Now if you need to mix a special cake for a special day and you have a crowd of about 100, then these mixers would be just what you need!!  Running a big hotel kitchen is a big job!!  The Hotel Del has parties for hundreds at once.  Lots of weddings are held here, too.

Teamwork is What It's All About

Serving hundreds of meals a day takes many hours of planning, purchasing, preparing, and serving, plus cleaning up.  This prep chef is one of the members of the kitchen staff at the Hotel Del Coronado who makes it all happen.

Got Carrots?

Almost everything in this hotel kitchen was stainless steel.  It's light, sturdy, and easy to clean.  I wonder what's going to happen to all these vegetables.  What do you think?

And to the Back of the Hotel Del

What a fabulous setting---the beach and the herb garden.  Jessie, the chef, took us behind the hotel and showed us her rosemary, parsley, tarragon, sage, mint, and so many more herbs.  I like that so many restaurants and eateries are growing their own food----healthy and safe from pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and all sorts of other "cides".

Take in the View

Isn't this a great setting?  Just remember, keep your picnic on the beach, not on the Hotel Del property.

And for Those Cool California Nights

Can you just imagine yourself sitting here, wind brisk, moon rising and all snuggled up on this comfy  beach sofa with the fire pit spewing, keeping you toasty.  I can.  Maybe I'll see you at the Hotel Del Coronado some evening.  Make sure you come up and shake my paw!

Come See for Yourself

I advise you to visit this famous old beach hotel when you are in Southern California.

Just go to  www.hoteldel.com   to learn more and make your plans.  I know you will be happy you stopped in.

Surf's Up in Oceanside

I'm in a Secret Spot.  Guess where?  This wave is painted on a wall outside the back door of the California Surf Museum in Oceanside, California.  Oceanside a small beach town north of San Diego about 20 minutes and situated next to Camp Pendleton.  This wave is the backdrop for gala parties and benefits and the space opens up to a back alley where buffet tables and bands set up!  Sounds like a fun place to be for a surf dog like me!  See inside the museum in the next few photos......

Step Inside.....Please

Sam showed me around the museum and it was very interesting!!  There are different themes every few months.  I happened to visit when "Transitional Thinking"---- surfing from 1966 to 1972 ---was being displayed; that's when hair got longer and boards got shorter.

Yes, Hair Went Long and Boards Got Short

I loved the displays.  Remember to click on the photos to see more detail.

The Co-Founder at Work

Jane Schmuss is a driving force at the California Surf Museum.  She has been fundraising, planning, plotting, and involved for 26 years.  Bravo, Jane, this museum is wonderful!

Getting Comfy

Now, isn't this a cool set up.  I just plopped myself down and watched a surf movie at the California Surf Museum.  Want to know more about this place?  Go to:   www.californiasurfmuseum.com

Waves Everywhere

As I toured the museum, and I was given the "cook's tour", I came across this famous wave.  Long ago a Japanese printmaker named Hokusai made 36 woodblock prints showing Mt. Fuji from different vantage points.  This one is my favorite.  If you are in Washington, D.C., this summer, you can see all 36 prints on display at the Sackler Museum.

Not Just Surfboards

Skateboards were also on display at the California Surf Museum.  As I stated, this is a great museum.  The day I went, admission was free.

Donations, Anyone?

Many surfboards are given to the museum, so many, in fact, that they must be stored away.

Everybody's Gone Surfin'.....

What fun I had at the California Surf Museum and I know you will too!!  Check it out when you're in Oceanside.

And for Lunch in Oceanside...

Mom and I had lunch at Swami's after our museum visit.  It was great!!!

Swami's is also the name of a local surf spot.  Google it and see what you find.

Out for a Brisk Walk

When I was staying in San Diego, I needed to get a little exercise so I took a long walk around Mission Bay, and I mean a long walk, with Bethany and her friend, Jackie.   I was huffing and puffing.  Looks like I'd better get in better shape!

Smell the Ocean Breeze

I liked visiting San Diego.  There are so many beautiful views---this one around Mission Bay was one of my favorites.  There were many other people I passed who were staying healthy, walking, and running

Staying Fit--It's Easy in San Diego

There was a group of young mothers, I called them the Baby Brigade, who were exercising under a tree at Mission Bay.  Their babies were lined up in a row in their strollers and the Moms worked out as they danced and moved in a circle around the tree and in front of their baby audience.

Feeling Very Posh

Lucky me!  I got to hang out around the pool at the San Diego Tennis and Raquet Club after my walk.

I was feeling very special.  Did you spot me on the trunk of the palm tree?  You always know, when you see a palm tree, it's a warm climate.

Be Responsible

I think this picture speaks for itself.  What do you think of all those beautiful succulents and the tiger lilies?

Wake up and Smell.......

There were roses everywhere in San Diego.  Southern California is famous for its roses---ever hear of the Rose Parade?  The lavender ones are bred for their fragrance and, boy, did these smell great!

Surf's Up in San Diego

I'm sitting with Mom at one of the most popular beaches in San Diego---La Jolla Shores.  It's a good surf spot for southern California.  When there are waves, the crowds of seasoned surfers are thick.  Look at the next few photos and see what I mean.......uh, oh, hope they'll let me on the beach.

"Inside Wave" Dave

Yes, with his long board, Dave catches all the waves he wants.  That's his reputation which he keeps intact because he surfs every day at La Jolla Shores.  He's one of the older men, called Legends, who rides waves and chat each morning.  It's a ritual.

We're Packin' up our Surfboards

Donnie Laughlin still has wet hair from his early morning session at La Jolla Shores.  He's been surfing here for 50 years---it's his homebreak.   His dad started riding waves in here in the 1930's.  Donnie caught his first wave at this spot when he was seven years old!  Once you get bit by the Surfing Bug, it's usually a lifetime sport.  (Donnie shapes boards, too.)

"Facebook Pays my Rent"

Josh Hall, another surfboard shaper who rides waves at La Jolla Shores, told me he gets orders off his social media site---Facebook!  Friend him and see his boards, or just go to his website:  www.joshhallsurfboards.com

Not Just for Surfing

La Jolla Shores also draws divers.  Charles Tu, an electrical engineer and professor at UCSD, braves the 55 degree water temperature and explores under the waves with a tank full of oxygen.  He sees lobster, octopi, bat rays, leopard sharks and much more.  I asked him if he was scared of the sharks and he happily replied, "No, they're afraid of us, we're bigger."

Keeping us Safe

Tom was taking care of business and keeping his lifeguard station tidy and didn't have too much time to talk except to say he loves his job! Seeing the bike in the background makes me happy---pedal to work, it's the smart way to commute.

The Most Expensive Lifeguard Station in the World?

Mike Lamprides, a La Jolla Shores surfer, and his wife, Cathy, were my tour guides around the most popular surf spots in San Diego.  Mike just had to let me know that this structure will cost the city $5,000,000 by the time it's completed!  Yikes, that's a lot of dough in this economy right now.

........And Down the Beach

Wind and Sea is another famous surf spot in San Diego.  I'm perched on top of a cooler under the shade of a makeshift tent on Memorial Day.  What a gorgeous morning!  Sometimes it's not so sunny, in fact, the marine layer is so thick in summer, you can's see anything.  The locals call it "June Gloom".

Catch a Wave and You're Sittin'.....

This is the view of Wind and Sea from the beach road.  That grass shack is famous and has been in lots of movies and commercials.  Do you see the surfer just catching an inside wave?  Click the photo to get a better look.

The Office at the Beach

Christian has been lifeguarding at Wind and Sea in San Diego for 5 years.  He was just weaving some filament for his fishing lines as he's getting ready to hunt for is dinner in the kelp beds out front.  Yellowtail tuna and white sea bass sleep in the kelp.

I asked him if he liked his job---"I love it, look at it!" I agree, what an incredible setting for an office.

Bikes at the Beach

This group of enthusiastic and happy women were off on a bicycling adventure celebrating a rider's birthday.  They were all new to biking and got into the sport because one of them had a hip replacement and couldn't run anymore.  They are out and about being athletic all the time---just yesterday 19 of them went golfing.  What fun ways to share companionship and exercise at the same time.  Looks like San Diego has a lot to offer in the way of sports!  It's always summer there.

Always Looking for Treasures

Whenever I travel, Mom is always on the lookout for thrift shops.  She's been recycling and reusing for 45 years!  Yikes!  So, here we are in San Diego at the Amvets.  It was huge and there were many people shopping.  Bargain hunting at second hand stores is a good way to take better care of the planet and a great place to find treasure.  What's cool these days is with a smart phone, you just google "thrift shops" and the closest ones in the area come up!  Perfect!

Heed this Advice

Did you notice the label on the boxes of strawberries?  It's very important to eat organic or, better yet, grow your own.  I'm in a grocery store for chefs in San Diego which is also open to the public.  You just have to sign in and wear rubber gloves when picking out produce.  Come along, I'll show you more..........

Flowers for Sale

Yes, there were boxes of flowers and flower petals in this special grocery store.  Some were edible and some were for decoration, like the rose petals.

Say, "Cheese"

So.....if you are in San Diego and you are having a very big party, Speciality Produce might be a place for you to shop.

A Friendly Face

Natasha helped me with my purchases--white peaches, tangerines, and strawberries; everyone was  organic.  There was a huge cold storage room that was only filled with unsprayed fruit and veggies.  And the prices were sooooo reasonable.  Make sure you bring your own bags and eliminate using plastic.

Just Give Them a Call

Here's all the info.  These trucks were setting idle as it was Sunday, but the store was open.

More details?  Go to:   www.specialtyproduce.com