One Day in SoCal

Long overdue trip report on my complete visit to London and Paris.  Attractions I will talk about include The Tower of London, The British Museum, The London Eye, Big Ben, Adelphi Theater, Bath Spa, The Roman Baths, The Bath Bun, Windsor Castle, Gravesite of Queen Elizabeth II, Carpenter Arms Pub, Coronation of King Charles III, Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason, Happy Cat Coffee, Borough Marke...

The Big Day has come and I crossed the Pond and went to Europe for the very first time, flying in style on United Airlines with some premium options.  I'll go over some the night before with my experience at the Wynn Buffet and a helicopter tour of the Las Vegas Strip, we'll go through some premium options when flying domestic or international such as cabin upgrades, TSA Precheck and Uni...

My last visit to SeaWorld was in 2013.  10 years after the release of the documentary Blackfish that nearly destroyed the company and Sea World as we know it, how are they doing and have they made any meaningful changes to their parks to address the criticism?  On this visit, I'll be skipping the rides and shows and focusing directly on the animals themselves.  I'll also review the fairl...

The Grand Canyon is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the world. It's frequently and almost universally on lists of the top 10 places to see before you die and is something that has to be seen in person for you to even start to comprehend the magnitude and majesty of what you are looking at. But while the Grand Canyon hardly needs any introduction, there is a way to add to your vacation by ridi...

I was afforded a fairly rare opportunity to tour the Jim Henson Company Lot in Hollywood, California and have a small audience with the one and only Brian Henson!  Unlike most movie studios, The Jim Henson Company does not do public tours on a regular basis, so at this 1917 Charlie Chaplin Hollywood original is a rare treat indeed. Finally, we were treated to a show of the Jim Henson Companies new...

Is Art truly in the eye of the beholder or can some art be classified as a scam? I would widely consider paintings like the Mona Lisa to be art, while simultaneously scoff at a banana from the local grocery store being duct tape to a white poster board and selling for $125,000 as a scam.  We ponder these questions as I seek answers by expanding my horizons and trying something new at the World Fam...

Located just south of Downtown Los Angeles is a FREE museum that is home to the only Space Shuttle on the West Coast; The original Space Shuttle Endeavour. In edition, you'll get to see some amazing replicas and original spacecraft, aircraft, animals and even a Kelp Forest that mimics what the oceans look like off our coast. Many of the exhibits are hands on, which provide a lot of entertainm...

Modern life can be stressful. Looking for a refuge from the chaos of cell phones, modern medicine and democracy? Enter Medieval Times: Dinner and Tournament, a SoCal native located in Buena Park, California (about a block from Knotts Berry Farm) since 1986.  You'll be treated as an honored guest of the Queen as you enjoy a meal fit for royalty while watching knights battle it out for your ent...

While Downtown Los Angeles looks like an urban landscape of white collar business and government, it is filled with hidden gems, history and attractions that add to what makes SoCal unique. Venture with me as I take a walking tour around Downtown Los Angeles to explore some of these attractions and show you why Downtown should be part of your travel plans if coming to visit SoCal. 

So you want to be a famous actor, huh? As extreme as the odds are, there are numerous things you can do to increase your odds of at least some success in Hollywood, whether you are visiting for a few days or one of the many hundreds of starry eyed youth walking off the plane daily at LAX.  I go over what you need to do to "make it" in Hollywood and share several of my own stories of work...

I'm hardly a car guy, but you don't have to be when you come to the LA Auto Show, where there is something for absolutely everyone.  The big theme at the the Auto Show this year was clearly electric vehicles, as nearly every single automaker had their latest and greatest technology on full display.  We'll be going through the entire auto show on this episode and you'll get the...

Off to my very first football game this week where I got to see The University of Southern California's Trojan's take on The University of California Berkeley's Golden Bears at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Exposition Park, now officially named United Airlines Field.  Stick around towards the end as I tell a few stories of my days as a Security Officer at USC's Sorority...

Each Halloween, the entirety of the generally family friendly Knotts Berry Farm is transformed into a nightmare of killer clowns, dead bodies, monsters, zombies and ghosts. Some of which you stray knowlingly into and others that stalk and come to you.  It's like The Purge, Silent Hill and your favorite zombie movie all in one and it's a Southern California classic event that just celebra...

The U.S.S. Midway Museum is a decommissioned United States Navy Aircraft Carrier located in San Diego San Diego Bay next to Downtown San Diego. With it's amazing displays, even more amazing veteran volunteer docents that actually served on the ship and nearly the entire ship at your disposal to explore, there is adventure around every bulkhead, berth and ladder. With an extensive collection o...

After a long hiatus of several years, the United States Air Force, courtesy of Edwards Air Force Base, brought back one of the greatest Air Shows in the country. The Aerospace Valley Air Show! Featuring dozens of static aircraft from WWII aircraft you've only seen in movies (such as Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers and Pearl Harbor) to concept (like the Dark Star from Top Gun) and flying...

The hit Broadway Musical Cats returns to Hollywood and the Pantages Theatre. This week I took the trip back down to Hollywood to see this record breaking musical and visit the beautiful Pantages Theatre. Cats has it's fair share of naysayers. Is it worth your time? Is Pantages all that it's cracked up to be? Let's find out on this weeks episode.

To most people travelling our state highways and freeways, SoCal's deserts are a lifeless, endless sea of sand. In reality, there is much to explore and see from real Oasis with water to historical buildings. Join me this week as I rent an ATV and travel to one of our State Parks that caters almost exclusively to 4x4 vehicles and ATV's as we explore one of the many geological wonders of...

This week, a bit of the country comes to SoCal in the form of Rodeo's. I attended the Sheriff's Rodeo in Devore and earlier this month, the Hesperia Rodeo in Hesperia and the Tehachapi Rodeo in Tehachapi to see what the craze is all about. I discovered Rodeo is a sport, but more like a community event like a fair, where people dress up in cowboy hats and daisy dukes and cheer on the prow...

I did something I thought I would never do. I went to the Ballet! I have been trying new things, especially with this podcast and like Baseball, in episode 2, so I decided to go the Ballet at the last minute. How bad could it be? So this week, we're heading to San Bernardino, California to watch Swan Lake performed on tour at the historic California Theatre of Performing Arts. It was definite...

Out in the Mojave Desert lies a piece of Old West history that has been frozen in time from 1885. Thanks to the forsight of Knotts Berry Farm Founder Walter Knott, Calico Ghost Town is the closest way for visitors to SoCal to experience what it was like to live and work in a real mining boom town. This week, I make the journey to the "Calico" colored hills to explore everything there is...

Join me on one last Summer road trip to Vegas on this weeks episode as I travel to Las Vegas to see what there is to do along the world famous "Strip".  I'm going to walk the entire Las Vegas strip from end to end (and back) and detail each and every Casino and major store or strip mall. The walk is 12-15 miles long overall, depending on how many casinos or other attractions you vis...

We're going to do something a little different for episode 8. I made an impromptu, last minute trip to the Hollywood Bowl on September 2nd, 2022 to see John Williams perform some of his greatest hits and recorded the majority of the performance, including the world premiere of "Helena" from the upcoming, non-released Indiana Jones 5 movie. Sit back and relax. I'll be your host...

Just 32 miles off the SoCal west coast is Santa Catalina Island. If you didn't know any better, you could swear your 70 minute boat ride brought you to the other side of the world to explore a Greek Island. Such is the vibe you'll get on Catalina, with no shortage of things to do from hiking, museums, gardens, restuarants, shopping, beaches, ziplining, backcountry tours, snorkeling, scub...

CICLAVIA is a play on the spanish word CICLOVIA, which means Cycleway. CICLAVIA is a unique SoCal event that takes place multiple times each year in various locations around SoCal and these events close off miles of streets to non-human powered vehicles so that anyone can enjoy on bicycle, skateboard, roller skates or to run walk and spectate. Join me this week as I attended and took part in the 6...

Its still summer and time for a road trip! This week, I took the 222 mile drive up interstate 15 to Las Vegas, Nevada. Although i've been to Las Vegas dozens of times, each time I go I experience new things. On this trip, I visited the Mob Museum and watched my very first production of Cirque Du Soleil. Are these experiences worth your time and money? Allow me to help you decide on this episo...